Known as "Fool's Gold" due to its brassy-yellow metallic luster. Pyrite is the most common sulfide mineral and is often associated with gold deposits, making it an important indicator mineral in exploration. Color: Brass-yellow. Luster: Metallic. Streak: Greenish-black. Cleavage: Poor. Hardness: 6-6.5. Transparency: Opaque. Crystal system: Cubic. Chemical formula: FeS₂. Specific gravity: 5.0. Formation: Forms in reducing environments where iron and sulfur combine. Often precipitates from hot hydrothermal fluids. Common geological settings: Found in all types of rocks: igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary. Common in coal beds, hydrothermal veins, and as a replacement mineral. Common look-alikes and related entries: Gold, Chalcopyrite, Marcasite.
These authoritative resources support category-level nomenclature, terminology, identification methods, and safety. When a specimen-specific safety warning appears, the public-health source listed here directly supports that precaution. They are not line-by-line citations for every other property on this entry, and natural specimens vary.
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GeoMiner
Last updated
2026-03-30T14:37:33.429806+00:00
Review status
Published; not independently peer-reviewed
IMA–CNMNC List of Mineral Names — International Mineralogical Association. Official mineral-name, nomenclature, and classification records.
Mineral ID Key — Mineralogical Society of America. Physical-property identification methods, repeat-testing guidance, and limitations.
Known as "Fool's Gold" due to its brassy-yellow metallic luster. Pyrite is the most common sulfide mineral and is often associated with gold deposits, making it an important indicator mineral in exploration.
How can you identify Pyrite?
Compare several properties rather than relying on colour alone. This entry records colour: Brass-yellow; lustre: Metallic; streak: Greenish-black; Mohs hardness: 6-6.5; cleavage: Poor; crystal system: Cubic; transparency: Opaque. Confirm an important identification with additional field tests or qualified laboratory work.
How does Pyrite form?
Forms in reducing environments where iron and sulfur combine. Often precipitates from hot hydrothermal fluids.
Where is Pyrite commonly found?
Found in all types of rocks: igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary. Common in coal beds, hydrothermal veins, and as a replacement mineral.
What is Pyrite commonly confused with?
Pyrite may be confused with Gold, Chalcopyrite, Marcasite. Compare multiple diagnostic properties because colour and surface appearance can overlap.
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