Rough Pyrite aka Fools Gold
A great piece of rough pyrite from our collection of rocks and minerals.
This iron sulphide mineral is also known as fool's gold. The name apparently comes from the Great American Gold Rush, when small pieces of pyrite were said to have been mistaken for gold.
This claim is repeated in many articles, particularly online, but I can't find much factual evidence to support it.
Despite pyrite's brassy yellow colour being similar to gold, it is quite easy to tell one from the other.
One of the main differences is that pyrite is considerably harder, but it's also brittle. Brittle minerals tend to chip or shatter easily.
Gold may be softer than pyrite, but it's ductile, which means it can be drawn out or stretched without losing strength or being damaged.
If a piece of gold of less than a gram was continually pounded, its size could increase to as much as a metre in diameter.
Gold is also much heavier than pyrite and, because of its density, is even heavier than lead.
As this rough piece of pyrite catches the light, minute sparkling crystals can be seen on all faces.
