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bmah — Pyrite crystals

Published: 2013-04-19 23:18:15 +0000 UTC; Views: 1358; Favourites: 40; Downloads: 45
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Description Mineral(s): Pyrite, with minor Jamesonite and Dickite
Locality: Animas Mine, Potosí Department, Bolivia

Barely over a centimeter across, this tiny specimen is basically a number of intergrown pyrite crystals in a distinct shape. Pyrite often forms in cubic crystals, but here we see octahedral (8-sided bipyramidal) crystals. The crystals also seem to have a thin veneer of oxidation, creating interference colors that show a very slight rainbow-like iridescence. Also, if you look closely, you'll see black metallic needles of jamesonite (another sulfide like pyrite) and white powdery dickite (a clay mineral).

Pyrite is a common sulfide mineral that has been dubbed "fool's gold".
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Comments: 4

Jewel-Firefly [2015-03-20 02:13:26 +0000 UTC]

I love pyrite!  This is an amazing specimen. I need to look through your gallery more.

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Jaeger15 [2013-04-19 23:28:01 +0000 UTC]

How rare are the octahedral crystals?

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bmah In reply to Jaeger15 [2013-04-20 06:58:40 +0000 UTC]

It's certainly not the standard crystal form. I just looked it up on mindat here: [link]

It says:
Morphology: Typically cubic or pyritohedral (pentagonal dodecahedral), and combinations are common, resulting in striated faces. Less frequently octahedral, most commonly massive, granular, and sometimes radiating, reniform, discoidal or globular.

There ya go.

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Jaeger15 In reply to bmah [2013-04-20 11:47:24 +0000 UTC]

Cool. Thanks for the info.

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