This is an example of the mineral pyrite.
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Courtesy of Corel
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Pyrite
Like real gold, pyrite is a brassy yellow color. But unlike gold, pyrite is not worth large amounts of money. That's because it is a very common mineral. It is found in all three rocks types: sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic.
Pyrite is made up of the elements iron (Fe) and sulfur (S). Although pyrite is common and contains a high percentage of iron, it has never been mined for its iron content. During World War II, pyrite was mined for its sulfur to produce sulfuric acid, an industrial chemical.
- Shape: Cubic ((Crystals usually look like cubes, octahedrons or dodecahedrons.)
- Luster: Metallic
- Color: Yellow gold
- Streak: Greenish black
- Hardness: 6 to 6.5 on Mohs Hardness Scale
- Cleavage: Poor
- Fracture: Conchoidal
Last modified April 15, 2003 by Lisa Gardiner.
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