mineral

Quartz with Chalcopyrite (or Pyrite)

Silicon Dioxide (SiO2) with Copper Iron Sulfide (CuFeS2)

Hardness: 7 (Quartz) / 3.5-4 (Chalcopyrite). Color: Clear to milky white host with brassy gold metallic inclusions. Luster: Vitreous to greasy (quartz) and metallic (sulfide). Crystal Structure: Trigonal/Hexagonal quartz, Tetragonal chalcopyrite.

Hardness: 7 (Quartz) / 3
Luster: Vitreous to greasy (quartz) and metallic (sulfide)

Identified July 1, 2026More mineral →

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Physical properties

Formation & geological history

Formed in hydrothermal veins where hot, mineral-rich fluids circulate through fractures in the earth's crust, cooling to precipitate quartz and metallic sulfides. Found in metamorphic and igneous environments.

Uses & applications

Quartz is used in electronics and glass manufacturing; chalcopyrite is a major ore of copper. As a specimen, it is primarily for mineral collecting and metaphysical display.

Geological facts

Quartz is the second most abundant mineral in Earth's continental crust. Identifying the metallic part as chalcopyrite versus pyrite often depends on searching for a slightly iridescent tarnish or testing hardness; chalcopyrite is softer than pyrite.

Field identification & locations

Identify in the field by the high hardness of the white matrix (it will scratch glass) and the metallic luster of the golden sections. Common in mining districts worldwide.

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