Real vs fake: Native Gold vs Pyrite
Prospectors still confuse pyrite (‘fool’s gold’) with native gold. Color, hardness, and crystal habit settle most field disputes.
- True gold-yellow, malleable — dents rather than shatters
- Soft (Mohs ~2.5–3) — scratched by copper coin
- High density; feels heavy for size
- No cubic crystal striations like pyrite
- Brassy pyrite with cubic faces and striations
- Brittle — crushes to powder, not flatten
- Greenish-black streak (pyrite) vs golden-yellow (gold)
- Harder than gold; sparks against steel sometimes
Field tests
- Streak plate comparison
- Malleability test on a tiny flake (destructive)
- SG or weigh-in-hand density check