Pyrite Crystal Pyramid

Pyrite is iron sulfide - FeS₂ - and the most striking metallic mineral cut as an object: a pale brass-gold with a bright metallic lustre, genuinely reflective rather than merely shiny. Mohs 6–6.5, hard for a metal-bright mineral.

Its hallmark is crystal form. Pyrite grows, unaided, in remarkably precise cubes and twelve-sided pyritohedra, their faces often scored with fine parallel striations - geometry so exact it looks machined, but entirely natural.

The name is from the Greek pyrites lithos, the stone that strikes fire: struck against steel, pyrite throws a spark, and it was used for exactly that in early firearms. A drop of moisture left on it over time can dull the surface, so it is kept dry.

Asked often

Is this real gold?
No - pyrite is iron sulfide, the mineral called fool’s gold for the resemblance. It is brighter and harder than gold, and grows in cubes gold never forms.

Does pyrite grow in cubes by itself?
Yes - unaided, pyrite grows in near-perfect cubes and twelve-sided forms, faces often finely striated. The geometry is the mineral’s own; this pyramid is cut, but the natural crystal is already geometric.

Does it really make sparks?
Yes - struck against steel it throws a spark, which is the root of its Greek name, the fire-stone. It was used to spark early firearms.

How do I care for it?
Keep it dry - this matters more than for most stones. Dust with a soft, dry cloth only; moisture and humidity can tarnish or corrode the surface over time.

1. Set on a desk or shelf, apex up, where light can strike the faces.
2. The metallic faces catch and throw the light as you pass.
3. Dust with a soft, dry cloth only.
4. Keep it dry - this matters more than for most stones; moisture can dull or tarnish the surface over time.

Pyrite asks to be kept dry above all - set it where it will not meet damp, and dust it dry. Where it sits, and what its brightness marks for you, is yours to decide.

A piece to set down and return to, heavy for its size. Dust with a dry cloth only; keep it from all moisture and humidity, which can tarnish the surface over time. Set it on a stable surface.

• Stone: Pyrite · iron sulfide
• Composition: FeS₂
• Crystal system: Cubic
• Hardness: Mohs 6–6.5
• Character: Brass-gold · bright metallic lustre · cubic crystals
• Treatment: None
• Form: Pyramid · four faces, cut and polished
• Origin: Peru
• Care: Dry cloth only · keep from all moisture

Pyrite has lit fires and lenses across history. Struck against flint or steel it sparks, and it served in the wheel-lock and early firing mechanisms of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Polished into flat discs, pyrite was used as mirrors by the peoples of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, who set it into ornaments and ritual objects.

Its brassy gleam fooled enough hopeful miners to earn the name fool’s gold - named here as the documented history. The shine is real metal; what it is taken to promise has always been the keeper’s to weigh.