As implied in the name, a strong magnetic force is easy to detect with a regular bar or horseshoe magnet. The mineral with the strongest magnetic force is magnetite, as the name implies. Magnetite is dull black in color usually with a hardness of 5.5 to 6.5 on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the hardest. While it exists all over the world, the largest deposits are in South Africa, Germany, Russia and the United States.
Pyrrhotite's magnetic force depends on its iron content, and although it is the second most common magnetic mineral, its force ranges from strong to weak. Bronze in color with a metallic luster, pyrrhotite is somewhat soft and occurs largely in North America, Russia, Germany and Brazil.
Maghemite is similar in properties to both magnetite and hematite, hence the name. With a black, metallic luster and a hardness of six, the largest deposits exist in Iron Mountain Mine near Shasta, California.
A bar magnet may not detect --- or stick to --- a mineral with weak magnetic force. However, you can see signs of magnetism with a simple compass, for the magnetic source will make the needle move. Mined exclusively in Franklin, N.J., franklinite is a dark-black mineral with a metallic luster and a hardness of 6.
Chromite is the main source of chromium. The naturally occurring mineral's color ranges from brownish black to dark black with a greasy or metallic luster and a hardness of 5.5. A common mineral, large deposits exist in the United States, Turkey, South Africa, the Philippines and Russia.
The largest source of titanium is the weakly magnetic mineral ilmenite. Black with a luster ranging from metallic to dull and mid-range hardness, this rare mineral's name came from its original source, the Ilmen Mountains in Russia, but also exists in many locations around Europe, North America, Asia, Australia and South Africa.
Hematite is a common mineral with a color that resembles dried blood, from red to brown usually, but at times silver-gray. The luster is from dull to metallic and its hardness is 5 to 6. While it is found virtually everywhere, quality specimens occur in England, Mexico, Brazil, Australia and the Lake Superior region of North America.
Although meteorites are not magnetic themselves, virtually all meteorites contain iron to one degree or another and will therefore stick to a magnet. Because of their extraterrestrial origins and the necessity of passing through the atmosphere at high speeds, the exterior of meteorites is nearly always black and charred in appearance although the luster can range from dull to metallic. Low-density meteors burn up upon atmospheric entry; therefore, any meteorite that you find will be very dense and will weigh more than you might expect.