This Tiny Magnet Can Turn Your Tap On Neodymium magnets are the strongest type of permanent magnets known today and they are very different from ordinary iron magnets. Regular magnets are usually made of iron or ferrite, where the atoms only loosely align in one direction. Neodymium magnets, on the other hand, are made from a mix of neodymium, iron, and boron. This combination creates a special crystal structure that locks the atoms into a stronger and more uniform alignment. Because of this, ne