pyrite
pyrite crystal from Kurgunkue in Kazakhstan
pyrite cubes of Navajun, La Rioja in Spain
Detailed sheet
pyrite
As warm sparks spring when striking it (and they ignite the tinder, it was used by the Roman legionaries), it is so named from the Greek “pyros” for fire. The Incas used it as mirrors.
It is often confused with marcasite but this last one, can not be used in jewelry because it crumbles and especially on contact with moisture in the air, it forms sulfuric acid that attacks everything that is close! All the roses so-called of “marcasite” on jewelry are actually pyrite.
Its golden yellow color was mistaken with the precious metal by prospectors, hence its nickname of “fools gold” in English but also ” gold of cats ” in German.
CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS
FeS2
iron sulfide
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Main color
yellow
colored or more or less light
Color of streak
black, green
Luster
metallic
Hardness
6.0 to 6.5
Density
5.00 to 5.20
Cleavage
indistinct
Fracture
uneven
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
Transparency
opaque
Refractive index
0.000 - 0.000
Double refraction
0.000
refractive index unreadable and no birefringence
visible double refraction
No
Pleochroism
absent
Number of colors
1
Fluorescence
none
CRYSTALS PROPERTIES
cubic, with striped sides, interpenetrating and often large, dodecahedra
crystals system
cubic
OTHER INFORMATIONS
Astrological sign
Capricorn, Pisces, Scorpio
APPROACHING GEMS
Exploited
sites
It is widespread but the best specimens come from Spain, Peru, Elba, Bolivia, Mexico, Romania, Sweden …
use in jewelry
Jewelers are looking for pyrites the most paler possible, to cut them into six facets pink flowers, which are called … “marcasites”. Once polished, it takes a metallic luster. It tends to darken.
Roses pyrite have been widely used in the nineteenth century for medallions, rings.
Daily care
and precautions
Keep away from cleaners. Wash with soapy water and rinse with pure water and then with alcohol to prevent oxidation. Very sensitive to shocks.
Historical
healing properties
It would be a stone that would restore the body’s energy polarities and help to structure the mind. As fluorite, its crystalline forms, well-shaped and ordained would make it a stone of the order, of the structured thinking. It should suit architects, mathematicians, and all who need to live in an ordered world and think rationally.
Its composition based on iron made it a stone that was used in relation to anemia and to promote memory. It would also help physical resistance to fatigue and promote mental activity.
Other
Gems
Venez visitez
notre site web
voillot-joaillier.fr
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec.
