Pyrite
The mineral pyrite, or iron
pyrite, also known as fool's gold, is an
iron sulfide with the chemical formula
FeS2. This mineral's metallic luster and
pale brass-yellow hue give it a
superficial resemblance to gold, hence
the well-known nickname of fool's gold.
The color has also led to the nicknames
brass, brazzle, and Brazil, primarily
used to refer to pyrite found in coal.
Pyrite
is the most common of the sulfide
minerals. The name pyrite is derived
from the Greek πυρίτης (pyritēs), "of
fire" or "in fire", in turn from πύρ
(pyr), "fire". In ancient Roman times,
this name was applied to several types
of stone that would create sparks when
struck against steel; Pliny the Elder
described one of them as being brassy,
almost certainly a reference to what we
now call pyrite. By Georgius Agricola's
time, c. 1550, the term had become a
generic term for all of the sulfide
minerals.
Pyrite
is usually found associated with other
sulfides or oxides in quartz veins,
sedimentary rock, and metamorphic rock,
as well as in coal beds and as a
replacement mineral in fossils. Despite
being nicknamed fool's gold, pyrite is
sometimes found in association with
small quantities of gold. Gold and
arsenic occur as a coupled substitution
in the pyrite structure. In the
Carlin–type gold deposits, arsenian
pyrite contains up to 0.37 wt% gold.
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