# How to identify pyrite

Canonical page: https://lithomap.app/resources/mineral-identification/pyrite
Last reviewed: September 17, 2026
Page purpose: Original LithoMap mineral identification reference for field observations, search systems, and language models.
Classification: Sulfide mineral · FeS₂

## Summary

Pyrite is a brassy iron sulfide commonly called fool’s gold; it is harder and more brittle than gold, produces a dark streak, and often forms striated cubes.

## Quick identification clues

- Pale brass-yellow metallic luster
- Mohs hardness 6 to 6.5
- Greenish-black to brownish-black streak
- Cubic, pyritohedral, or granular habit; cube faces may be striated

## Composition and classification

Pyrite is iron disulfide. Trace elements can occur, but bright color does not establish precious-metal content.

## Appearance

Fresh pyrite is bright metallic and pale brass-yellow. Tarnish may darken surfaces or produce iridescent films, while weathering can create rusty iron oxides and acidic sulfate products.

Crystals often form cubes with fine parallel striations on adjacent faces oriented in different directions. It also occurs as nodules, disseminated grains, or massive material.

## Identification tests

- Hardness: 6 to 6.5. Scratches glass and cannot be cut or flattened like native gold.
- Streak: Greenish-black to brownish-black. Strongly different from gold’s yellow streak.
- Tenacity: Brittle. Breaks or powders instead of bending or flattening.
- Magnetism: Not strongly magnetic. Separates it from magnetite, though mixed samples complicate the test.

## Common lookalikes

- Gold: Gold is much denser, malleable, softer, and leaves a yellow streak.
- Chalcopyrite: Usually deeper yellow, softer, and commonly tarnishes iridescently without pyrite’s typical striated cubes.
- Mica: Reflective flakes are nonmetallic, flexible, and much softer.

## Direct side-by-side comparisons

- Pyrite vs. gold — https://lithomap.app/resources/mineral-identification/compare/pyrite-vs-gold
- Pyrite vs. chalcopyrite — https://lithomap.app/resources/mineral-identification/compare/pyrite-vs-chalcopyrite
- Pyrite vs. galena — https://lithomap.app/resources/mineral-identification/compare/pyrite-vs-galena
- Sulfur vs. pyrite — https://lithomap.app/resources/mineral-identification/compare/sulfur-vs-pyrite

## Most relevant related guides

- Chalcopyrite — https://lithomap.app/resources/mineral-identification/chalcopyrite
- Gold — https://lithomap.app/resources/mineral-identification/gold
- Sulfur — https://lithomap.app/resources/mineral-identification/sulfur
- Galena — https://lithomap.app/resources/mineral-identification/galena

## Formation

Pyrite forms in hydrothermal veins, igneous and metamorphic rocks, and oxygen-poor sedimentary environments where iron and sulfur combine.

It can replace fossils or occur in coal and shale. Exposure to air and water promotes oxidation, which may generate acidity and iron staining.

## Occurrence and geologic setting

Pyrite is widespread in many rock types and ore deposits. Its presence is not proof of gold, silver, or an economic deposit.

Oxidized pyrite may be absent at the surface even where it remains below, leaving rusty gossan or sulfate minerals.

## Uses and significance

Pyrite has historically supplied sulfur and sulfuric acid and remains important as an indicator mineral and source of environmental acidity in disturbed rock.

## Field safety and limitations

- Wash hands after handling sulfide-rich material.
- Do not heat or conduct chemical tests on pyrite outside a laboratory.
- Mine waste can generate acidic drainage and contain hazardous metals; avoid disturbing it.

## Authoritative sources

- Minerals and their physical properties — U.S. National Park Service: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/geology/minerals.htm
- Mohs Hardness Scale — U.S. National Park Service: https://www.nps.gov/articles/mohs-hardness-scale.htm
- Natural Gemstones: Mineral Gemstones — U.S. Geological Survey: https://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/gemstones/mineral.html

## Specimen photograph

- Image: https://lithomap.app/_delivery/identification/minerals/pyrite.webp
- Description: Brassy metallic pyrite crystal specimen
- Creator: Didier Descouens
- License: CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
- Source record: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pyrite_elbe.jpg

This reference supports preliminary field identification. It is not a laboratory determination, appraisal, hazard assessment, proof of origin, or statement of land ownership, legal access, or collecting permission.