Image: <bdi><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q56247090" class="extiw" title="d:Q56247090"><span title="mineral collector and dealer">Robert M. Lavinsky</span></a></bdi> (CC BY-SA 3.0)
cubiccommonSulfides
Pyrite
FeS2
This image displays several lustrous, pale brass-yellow octahedral pyrite crystals, exhibiting a distinct metallic sheen.
Pyrite Physical Properties
Mohs Hardness
6Crystal System
cubicLuster
metallicStreak Color
greenish-black to brownish-blackCleavage
indistinct/poorFracture
conchoidal to unevenSpecific Gravity
5Colors
pale brass-yellow, goldenTransparency
opaqueType Locality
Trabzon Province, Black Sea Region, TurkeyMineral Group
SulfidesUses
sulfuric acid production, collector specimens, historically as 'fool's gold'Associated Minerals
quartz, calcite, gold, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, galenaRarity
commonGeological Context
Pyrite forms in a wide range of geological environments, including hydrothermal veins, sedimentary rocks, and metamorphic rocks, often under reducing conditions where iron and sulfur are present.
