Collectable Pyrite Mineral

The front of this pyrite sparkles beautifully as it catches the light which it does at almost every angle.  

Pyrite has a distinctive metallic lustre and brassy yellow hue.  It can be found in many geological environments and crystallises in several forms.  Despite being quite hard it's very brittle.

Also known as iron pyrite, it's particularly popular with younger collectors because of its similarity to gold.  When the two minerals are side by side it's quite easy to tell one from the other.

Pyrite is a chemical compound of iron and sulphur.  For this reason it's correctly described as an iron sulphide mineral.  Despite containing iron it's not used as an ore because the iron is too difficult to extract.