Shungite with Pyrite on metal base #4

Pyrite is an iron/sulfur mineral that is used as an important ore for both elements. One of the unique characteristics of Pyrite is its preference for creating cubes instead of other isometric shapes. Something else that is unique about Pyrite is its complete opaqueness and metal like lustre. It looks like a metal, but it is not. The metallic lustre made gold prospectors mistake the mineral for gold during Gold Fever in the US and Canada. This is the reason Pyrite is sometimes called fool’s gold.  The best Pyrite cubes are found in La Rioja, Spain. The Peruvian variety of Pyrite is famed for its intriguing octahedron formations. The name Pyrite comes form the Greek púr, which means fire, because the mineral produces a spark when struck with a piece of metal.