THE PYRITE GROUP OF MINERALS

The Pyrite Group is composed of minerals with a similar isometric structure and related chemistry. It is named for its most common member, pyrite. The general formula for this group is AX₂. The A can be either iron, zinc, mercury, gold, cobalt, copper, manganese, nickel, osmium, iridium, palladium, platinum or ruthenium. The X can be either sulfur, arsenic, antimony, bismuth, selenium and/or tellurium. Pyrite's formula is FeS₂ for example. While this is actually a fairly large group, only pyrite is common and only a few others are even recognized by experience collectors.

The following are members of the Pyrite Group of minerals:

Aurostibite (Gold Antimonide)

Cattierite (Cobalt Sulfide)

Dzharkenite (Iron Selenide)

Erlichmanite (Osmium Sulfide)

Fukuchilite (Copper Iron Sulfide)

Geversite (Platinum Antimonide)

Hauerite (Manganese Sulfide)

Insizwaite (Platinum Bismuthinide Antimonide)

Krutaite (Copper Selenide)

Laurite (Ruthenium Sulfide)

Maslovite (Platinum Bismuth Telluride)

Mayingite (Iridium Bismuth Telluride)

Penroseite (Nickel Cobalt Copper Selenide)

Pyrite (Iron Sulfide)

Sperrylite (Platinum Arsenide)

Testibiopalladite (Palladium Antimonide Telluride)

Trogtalite (Cobalt Selenide)

Vaesite (Nickel Sulfide)

Villamaninite (Copper Nickel Cobalt Iron Sulfide)