A lumped ore product containing iron and iron compounds, used as a raw material in blast furnace production.  The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in colour from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red.

Ores containing very high quantities of hematite or magnetite (greater than about 60% iron) are known as “natural ore” or “direct shipping ore” (DSO), meaning they can be fed directly into iron-making blast furnaces. Iron ore is the raw material used to make pig iron, which is one of the main raw materials to make steel—98% of the mined iron ore is used to make steel, which accounts for over 90% of all metals used in the world.