Great South Gems & Minerals

• Pyrite Crystal Cubes in thumbnail box •
(Logrono, Spain)

• Pyrite Crystal Cubes in thumbnail box •
(Logrono, Spain)

Fools Gold - Pyrite Crystal - Iron Pyrite

Called "Fools Gold" due to its yellowish/gold color, Iron Pyrite is an Iron sulfide, sometimes containing small amounts of colbalt, nickel, silver, and gold. In the old mining days, Pyrite was many times confused with Gold. In olden days, prospectors panning for gold in streams would often find small pieces of pyrite in their gold pans. The fastest test of the material would be to put it in their mouth and bite down on it. If the piece flatened out, Pyrite has the same chemical formula as Marcasite, but crystallizes in a different crystal system, therefore being a separate mineral.

See Pyrite cubes.
See inter twined Pyrite crystals.
See Pyrite "suns" crystal disc.

Pyrite is used commercially for the production of sulfur dioxide, for use in such applications as the paper industry, and in the manufacture of sulfuric acid, although such applications are declining in importance. A small amount of Iron Pyrite is used in the manufacture of iron.

Pyrite is relatively hard at 6 to 6-1/2 on the Mos scale. Pyrite forms as a Sedimentary, magmatic, metamorphic, and hydrothermal deposits.

For more information on Iron Pyrite see: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrite

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