mineral
Pyrite and Chalcopyrite in Fluorite Matrix
Calcium Fluoride (CaF2) with Iron Sulfide (FeS2)
Fluorite: Hardness 4, green, vitreous luster, isometric/cubic. Pyrite: Hardness 6-6.5, brassy yellow (gold-like), metallic luster, cubic/pyritohedral crystals.
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Physical properties
Fluorite: Hardness 4, green, vitreous luster, isometric/cubic. Pyrite: Hardness 6-6.5, brassy yellow (gold-like), metallic luster, cubic/pyritohedral crystals.
Formation & geological history
Formed in hydrothermal veins and sedimentary deposits where mineral-rich fluids crystallize at low to medium temperatures. Common in lead/zinc ore deposits.
Uses & applications
Fluorite is used as a flux in steel making and for optics. Pyrite is an ore of sulfur. This specific specimen is prized primarily for scientific and lapidary collecting.
Geological facts
Pyrite is famously known as Fool's Gold, while Fluorite is renowned for being the original substance to exhibit fluorescence under UV light.
Field identification & locations
Check for the characteristic 4 directions of cleavage in the green fluorite and the brassy, non-malleable metallic flecks (pyrite) that won't scratch with a fingernail.
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Mineral/Rock
Banded Gneiss (River Rock/Pebble)
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Metamorphic Rock
![Green Apatite on Albite (Fluorapatite [Ca5(PO4)3F] on Albite [Na(AlSi3O8)]) — mineral](https://media.rockidentification.com/2391a63f-fb20-47d5-af9a-2035851eb32e-thumbnail.jpg)
Green Apatite on Albite
Fluorapatite [Ca5(PO4)3F] on Albite [Na(AlSi3O8)]
mineral