Pyrrhotite
Image: <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Islam90" title="User:Islam90">Islam90</a> (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Mineral NamePyrrhotite
Chemical FormulaFe₁₋ₓS
Mohs Hardness3.5
Crystal Systemmonoclinic
Lustermetallic
Streak Colorgrayish black
Cleavagepoor on {0001}
Fractureuneven
Specific Gravity4.6
Colorsbronze-yellow, brownish-bronze, reddish-brown
Transparencyopaque
Type LocalitySudbury (Canada), Norilsk (Russia), Franklin (USA)
Mineral GroupSulfides
Usesminor ore of iron, source of sulfur, collector
Associated Mineralspyrite, chalcopyrite, pentlandite, magnetite, sphalerite
Raritycommon
Description
The image displays a microscopic view of pyrrhotite, showing irregular, somewhat granular, greyish-white to silvery metallic patches against a bright background, with some darker blueish reflections.
Geological Context
Pyrrhotite typically forms in mafic igneous rocks, hydrothermal veins, and contact metamorphic deposits, often occurring alongside other sulfide minerals in ore bodies.
