Guide
Pyrrhotite specimens for sale
35 for sale · $75–$8,500 USD
265 in the gallery
Pyrrhotite is a metallic sulfide of iron with variable iron deficiency, often forming in subhedral to euhedral crystals. Its color ranges from coppery-bronze to steel-gray, and crystals may show a bright to tarnished lustre that catches the eye in a rock matrix. Habit is typically prismatic to tabular, sometimes forming twinned crystals or irregular masses, with a noticeable magnetic response that can aid identification in the field.
- Formula
- Fe1-xS
- Rarity
- Common
- Stability
- Moderately Stable
- Collector interest
- Moderate Interest
- Classification notes
- Sulfide mineral; iron sulfide with variable iron deficiency (Fe1−xS), commonly grouped under sulfide minerals in Strunz/Dana classifications.
Key characteristics
- Crystal system
- monoclinic
- Mohs hardness
- 3.5–4.5
- Specific gravity
- 4.58–4.65
- Luster
- metallic
- Transparency
- opaque
- Color
- brown, yellow, gray
- Streak
- black, gray
- Cleavage
- poor
- Fracture
- uneven, subconchoidal
- Crystal habit
- tabular, prismatic, granular, massive
- Classic / historic
Buy Pyrrhotite specimens
View all 35Where Pyrrhotite is found
Top localities
- Santa Eulalia Mining District18 specimens
- Morro Velho mine17 specimens
- Eagle Mine16 specimens
- Nikolaevskiy Mine14 specimens
- Herja Mine13 specimens
- Trepča Stari Trg Mine13 specimens
- Potosí Mine11 specimens
- West Camp7 specimens
- Bottino Mine5 specimens
- Naica5 specimens
Guides
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Guide
Pyrrhotite from Trepča Stari Trg Mine, Kosovo
Pyrrhotite from Trepča Stari Trg Mine, Kosovo — bronze to yellow-brown plates with pseudo-hexagonal crystals, prized for locality context and dramatic display.Read guide
Guide
Pyrrhotite from Nikolaevskiy Mine, Dal’negorsk, Russia
Pyrrhotite from Nikolaevskiy Mine, Dal’negorsk, Russia — brassy luster with sharp pseudohex plates, notable Dal’negorsk specimens, collector-scale crystals.Read guide
Guide
Pyrrhotite from Huanzala Mine, Peru
Huanzala Mine, Peru — a premier locality for pyrite, fluorite, sphalerite, galena, and quartz; pyrrhotite is rare, often preserved as pseudomorphs.Read guideAbout Pyrrhotite
Prominent localities include Russia, Mexico, Kosovo, Brazil, and Romania, where Pyrrhotite occurs in hydrothermal veins and sulfide-rich deposits. Specimens from these regions are valued for their crisp crystal form, reflective surfaces, and contrasting associations with other minerals such as pyrite, chalcopyrite, or sphalerite. Collectors prize Pyrrhotite for its warm metallic sheen and its potential for eye-catching display pieces when cut or polished, as well as for the satisfaction of finding well-formed crystals within complex mineral assemblages.
