Pyrite: Fool’s Gold

Pyrite, also known as Fool’s Gold is the most common of the sulfide minerals. Pyrite is called Fool’s Gold because of it’s pale brass yellow color and glistening metallic luster, but it may be told from gold  by it’s cubic, dodecahedral, and octahedral crystals and fine grain masses. Some interesting facts about pyrite are that it has a greenish black streak, a rating of 6.0 to 6.5 on the mohs scale, a specific gravity of 5.00 to 5.02 , it creates a weak electric current when heated and in some of it’s various form’s it has been used in early fire arms and fire starting kits. It’s biggest commercial use is in making sulfuric acid but it is also important in nature for forming ore and mineral deposits.