PYRITE

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sometimes a picture comes out real swell
even with dodgy equipment!

Pyrite is the classic "Fool's Gold". There are other shiny brassy yellow minerals, but pyrite is by far the most common and the most often mistaken for gold. Whether it is the golden look or something else, pyrite is a favourite among rock collectors. It can have a beautiful lustre and interesting crystals. It is so common in the earth's crust that it is found in almost every possible environment, hence it has a vast number of forms and varieties. A very minor ore of sulphur for sulphuric acid, used in jewellery under the trade name "marcasite" and as mineral specimens.

Hardness: 6 - 6.5. Other characteristics.

Defends and protects one from negative energies at the vibrational and physical levels, as it inspires, activates, and nourishes the energies of the body. Helps one recognize and attune to the purity of the universe, and to see words and actions at the vibrational level to understand them. Aids in digestive problems, anxiety, depression, frustration, and false hopes. Used for focus, practicality, logic, memory, scatteredness.

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Pyrite cube on graphite phyllite matrix from Juneau, Arkansas

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(from Vesuvius)

From the Aberdeen Bestiary Project

Pyrite does not allow you to grasp it, because if you do so, it burns your hand.