from these areas often contains high amounts of chromium and titanium. In the 19th century ironsand was sometimes used as blotter sand for concrete and masonry work, or more rarely as raw material for steel production; one blacksmith in Connecticut used it for making bar stock. History According to the OED online entry for sand-iron, Jedidiah Morse (1761–1826), writing in The American universal geography (new edition, 1796 (2 vols)), stated that Jared Eliot (1685-1763) invented sand-iron, or the making of iron from black sand, in 1761. However, Japanese craftsmen have been using sand-iron, known as "tamahagane", in sword-making for at least 1200 years. The crafting of sand-iron in "tatara" smelters, made of brick and clay, is still practiced by Japanese craftsmen today. See also Iron ore Ironstone Sand mining References External links A history of ironsands in New Zealand steel manufacture Ore deposits Sand Iron ores