MINERALS

Pyrite is an iron sulfide mineral and one of the most ubiquitous minerals of earth's crust. It is found in igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks and crystallizes at both high and low temperatures.

Its yellow color and metallic luster occasionally fool inexperienced people who confuse it with gold - hence the name "fools gold".

The uses of pyrite are declining. The main uses today are the production of sulfur dioxide for the paper industry and sulfuric acid for the chemical industry.

Other sources of these substances are replacing what was once produced from pyrite. It is rarely mined for its iron content because the associated sulfur contaminates the iron to render it brittle and useless for most applications.