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Description: | The lodestone, made from a piece of magnetite, which is naturally magnetic, was vital in the early centuries of navigation to ensure that the ship's compass worked properly. Until the mid-18th century, when improved compasses were developed, compass needles lost their magnetism quickly and had to be re-magnetised by stroking a lodestone along the needle's length.
Lodestones were often mounted in frames of brass, bronze or silver. This lodestone has a silver frame with a suspension ring, and is 'armed' with two pieces of steel at the bottom, which help to increase the magnetic strength of the lodestone. | Publisher: | "http://collections.rmg.co.uk/" | Subjects: | lodestones Lodestone | Source: | Royal Museums Greenwich | Identifier: | http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections... | Go to resource |
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Lodestone
L.Ma.15. (old departmental catalogue number…
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