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 specimen features several lustrous, golden-yellow pyrite cubes, some exhibiting twinning, prominently displayed on a dark matrix.
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
Quiruvilca Mine, Quiruvilca District, Santiago de Chuco Province, La Libertad Department, PeruMineral Group
SulfidesUses
source of sulfur, minor source of iron, collector's specimens, jewelry (historically)Associated Minerals
quartz, calcite, galena, sphalerite, chalcopyriteRarity
commonGeological Context
Pyrite is a common sulfide mineral found in a wide variety of geological settings, including hydrothermal veins, sedimentary rocks, and metamorphic rocks, often forming in oxygen-poor environments.
