Mineralpedia Details for Pyrrhotite
Pyrrhotite
Named after the Greek pyrrhos, meaning “russet,” which is a dark brown with hints of red-orange similar to the color of the mineral. Pyrrhotite has thousands of localities and occurs in igneous rocks as magmatic segregations and can also be found in pegmatites, hydrothermal and replacement veins, sedimentary rock, metamorphic rock, and in iron meteorites. Pyrrhotite is magnetic, however the degree to which it is magnetic varies inversely with the iron content.
Ref. Handbook of Mineralogy, Anthony et al (1995) and MSA at http://www.handbookofmineralogy.org/pdfs/pyrrhotite.pdf
- Formula
- Fe7S8
- Crystal System
- Monoclinic
- Crystal Habit
- Tabular, Platy, Massive - Granular
- Cleavage
- Imperfect, Imperfect, None
- Luster
- Metallic
- Color
- bronze, bronze red, dark brown
- Streak
- gray black
- Class
- Monoclinic - Prismatic
- Fracture
- Uneven
- Hardness
- 3.5-4
- WebMineral
- View Pyrrhotite
- Mindat
- View Pyrrhotite
Pyrrhotite from Santa Eulalia, Chihuahua, Mexico
An incredible large crystal group of solid Pyrrhotite with the largest crystal measuring 6.5cm!
Another group with crystals to 1.5cm.
Pyrrhotite from Nikolaevskiy mine, Dal'negorsk, Russia
Brassy excellent barrel-shaped Pyrrhotite crystal.
PYRRHOTITE from Gap mine, Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania, United States
A chunk composed of all Pyrrhotite from this old nickel mine.
Pyrrhotite from Herja mine, Baia Mare, Maramures Co., Romania
Stacked, tapering crude hexagonal plates.
Pyrrhotite from Morro Velho mine, Nova Lima, Minas Gerais, Brazil
This is truly an amazingly brilliant large Pyrrhotite with incredible goldish bronze color. The largest crystal has a face to 4.5cm.
Pyrrhotite from Chihuahua, Mexico
Nice combination specimen of golden plates of Pyrrhotite to 8mm with corroded Galena and Quartz.
Pyrrhotite from Nairn Centre, Sudbury, Canada
Sawed flat on one side to show the brassy, magnetic, portions of Pyrrhotite, which is associated with Chalcopyrite and possible Gersdorffite.
