I agree!  Our tests do show that our golden cube is not gold.

But these properties do match another mineral. It's called pyrite. Because it looks so much like gold, its nickname is fool's gold! Gold or not, this cube is still an amazing object! Cubes like this usually form embedded in other rocks, or in completely different forms.

Sometimes pyrite cubes are squashed together in clusters.

Pyrite is usually found like this—clustered in tiny crystals called massive pyrite.	Many fossils are made of pyrite, like this brachiopod.

Why isn¹t pyrite as valuable as gold? Gold is valued for many reasons:

• It's beautiful.
• It's very rare.
• It doesn't rust or tarnish.
• And it can easily be melted or pounded into different shapes, then made into coins, jewelry, false teeth, or other things.

Pyrite, on the other hand, is fairly common, can rust, and is too hard to shape into jewelry or other objects. But is still beautiful—and much easier to find! You can find pyrite in many places throughout North America and the world. Check with the nearest geological survey to find out where!

Or help me solve another geo-mystery!

© The Children's Museum of Indianapolis, 2000