Gold or Pyrite ?

by Rose
(Redding,California,USA )

Pic #2

I was given a bunch of rock and it looks like it may have gold in it but I would like to find out for sure. The rock is really heavy and does not have any magnetic pull. I am posting four pictures of it. The rock also has what looks like pyrite on one side of it.

Comments for Gold or Pyrite ?

Average Rating

Click here to add your own comments

Oct 19, 2020
Rating

by: Douglas

Rose,

This looks like it is a very thin layer. The characteristic you can check for is hardness. Pyrite is much harder than gold. Pyrite is 6-7 and gold is 2-3.

Learn about doing a scratch test for hardness here:

https://www.rocksandminerals4u.com/properties_of_minerals.html

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Have a rock or mineral specimen that you want to share?.

Rock and Mineral Collections

Fossil and Geologic Time Book Sets

Fossil Collections

Share this page:

What’s this?

Facebook Twitter

Enjoy this page? Please pay it forward. Here's how...

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

Click on the HTML link code below.
Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.