3.3\" Shiny Brassy Gold Polished PYRITE BALL with Crystals in Vugs-Peru for sale
![3.3\](img-large/g/K4MAAOxy4YdTVTg7/s-l1600/3-3-Shiny-Brassy-Gold-Polished-PYRITE-BALL-with-Cr.jpg "3.3\")
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3.3\" Shiny Brassy Gold Polished PYRITE BALL with Crystals in Vugs-Peru for sale :
$140.00
Untitled Document
....
with Crystals in Vugs-Peru
for sale
$140.00
Size:
3.3\" diameter
Shipping weight:
3.6 pounds
Condition:
Excellent
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Recommended stand:
Medium 2½\" Peg Stand
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Here\'s a really amazing piece - a polished 3 pound pyrite sphere with openings
(called vugs) that are completely lined with sparkling pyrite crystals.
Click on the photos for enlarged view
Large 3.3\"
cabinet size
One deep vug is lined with sharp, shiny pyrite crystals
Shiny crystals
Beautiful from
all angles
Click arrow to see a video of this fine mineral specimen
Description
Here\'s an amazing and quite beautiful brassy golden POLISHED PYRITE SPHERE with shiny pyritohedral crystals lining vugs that penetrate into the sphere. Pyrite is the classic \"fool\'s gold\", so called because of its resemblance to native gold, though here (as usual), the color is more of a brassy gold than the butter yellow of real gold. The pyrite used to make this piece came from Huanuca, Peru, and it has been expertly crafted into a perfect ball with a smooth, shiny surface. We found this piece at the stand of one of our favorite Peruvian wholesale dealers at the Tucson Show this year.
Mineralogy
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 favorite among rock collectors. It can have a beautiful luster 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.
Bravoite is the name given to a nickel-rich iron sulfide. It is closely related to pyrite but contains up to 20% nickel. Some mineral books treat it as a variety of pyrite.
Pyrite is a polymorph of marcasite, which means that it has the same chemistry, FeS2, as marcasite; but a different structure and therefore different symmetry and crystal shapes. Pyrite is difficult to distinguish from marcasite when a lack of clear indicators exists.
Pyrite\'s structure is analogous to galena\'s structure with a formula of PbS. Galena though has a higher symmetry. The difference between the two structures is that the single sulfur of galena is replaced by a pair of sulfurs in pyrite. The sulfur pair are covalently bonded together in essentially an elemental bond. This pair disrupts the four fold symmetry that a single atom of sulfur would have preserved and thus gives pyrite a lower symmetry than galena.
Although pyrite is common and contains a high percentage of iron, it has never been used as a significant source of iron. Iron oxides such as hematite and magnetite, are the primary iron ores. Pyrite is not as ecomonical as these ores possibly due to their tendency to form larger concentrations of more easily mined material. Pyrite would be a potential source of iron if these ores should become scarce.
Pyrite has been mined for its sulfur content though. During WWII, sulfur was in demand as a strategic chemical and North American native sulfur mines were drying up. A sulfide deposit near Ducktown Tenn. was found to be able to mine pyrite and other sulfides such as pyrrhotite and pentlandite and produce the needed sulfur as well as iron and other metals. The sulfur was used in the production of sulfuric acid, an important chemical for industrial purposes. Now most sulfur production comes from H2S gas recovered from natural gas wells.
Metaphysics
People interested in metaphysics and crystal healing tell us that pyrite is one of the most protective stones in use today. It can shield one from many types of negative energy. It is also an excellent healing stone, and as a representative of the sun\'s golden energy it can help one to see through facades.
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3.3\" Shiny Brassy Gold Polished PYRITE BALL with Crystals in Vugs-Peru for sale :
$140.00