Pyrite

sulphides

5 to 5.2 g/cm3

regular

indistinct

FeS2

yellow with different varieties of this colour due to admixtures

6 to 6. 5 on the Mohs scale

metallic

It is abundant in metamorphic, sedimentary and many other magma rocks, but to a much lesser extent; it forms crystals in the shape of cube, octagonal, pentagonal dodeca, as well as needle crystals; it also forms renal, spherical, radial, discoid clusters (so-called pyrite suns or pyrite dollars); it can be found all over the world, particularly in the following mining countries: South Africa, Spain, Italy, Greece, Mexico, USA; in Poland it occurs in Turowa or Rudki near Kielc

Pyrite has only one yellowish-golden coloration; forms crystals in the shape of cubes, octa-walled, pentagonal and also needle-like crystals; is characterized by metallic sheen, shell or gutty break and poor chipping; is used in the production of polishing powders, is widely used in jewellery as a similar and cheaper alternative to gold; is sometimes also a source of gold and copper, as these are its frequent admixtures; red mineral paints are made of it

The name of this mineral comes from the Greek pyr which means "fire" and pyrrites which means "sparking" because the mineral sparkles under the influence of flint or hard metal; in the past it was tried as a potential source of iron but due to the presence of sulfur these attempts were abandoned; another name for this mineral is "spark"; pyrite was even used to make firearms; due to its colour it is also called "gold of fools" because occurs with gold and is difficult to distinguish; the role of pyrite in igniting fire is characteristic of all ancient civilizations, it led to the development of modern chemical, pharmacological and arms industries, in which pyrite still plays an important role; even today pyrite is used to produce sulfuric acid; the production of pyrite-based drugs, such as alum, went in parallel with the development of the chemical industry and can be shown to be the beginning of industrial production of medicines; more than 90 percent of the world's pyrite is produced by microbiological processes; in 300 AD China's provinces of Shanxi, Hebei, Henan, Hunan and Sichuan began to produce sulfur from pyrite; medical sulfur had to be produced from pyrite in the absence of natural sulfur deposits; sulfur was mainly used in creams to alleviate such ailments as scabies, mycosis, psoriasis, eczema and acne