Pyrite vs Gold how do you tell the difference?

[Jordan P]

Ok guys I understand most people that have been prospecting for quite sometime can tell the difference right away. It's easy right?
Well, not for me. Lol. For instance, I found a rock about 3 inches long, half inch thick loaded with and sparkling with gold!...or pyrite. It looks exactly like gold. But in the shade the gold isn't as bright. But I can still see it. Making me think it could be pyrite. Now where I'm from we don't have much placer gold. Instead it's lode gold. So I'm expecting to crush rocks to find gold. Could this rock really have that much gold? It has hundreds of flakes sparkling at me.

I've read about pyrite and the fact that it will break if crushed, but gold will not. But these flakes are far to small to try crushing. Will these tiny flakes move around in a pan even if it is gold since they are so tiny?
I know they say gold will not move, but I'm talking about little tiny specs here. Like gold dust.
The area I found the rocks had ALOT of rocks with a silverish line on them. Like actual rock, not just color. Is this another metal? Nickel, chromium, silver?

I'm new and learning. Please bare with me.
Thanks!
Jordan

 

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[LRC253]

Get a cheap mortar and pestle (keene $40) crush it up, classify it and pan it out. The tiny gold will still stick to the bottom of the pan. Also, get some jet-dry incase there is anything floating.

 

[goldog]

Do you have some real gold to pan so you know the real thing when you see it? No matter how small, gold will act like gold. At least up to a point. Where are you located? If the gold in your area is ore from a lode mine you'll want to investigate what that ore looks like. Good luck!

 

[Jordan P]

Thanks for the replies!

LRC, I don't think I'm interested in crushing rocks by hand like that. Seems like I would be able to crush 5 rocks and call it a day lol.

Goldog, I found 1 flake of real gold for sure. That's all I have to compare it to. I live in Manitoba, Canada.

 

[Jason in Enid]

Gold is soft. It will bend and dent if you push on it with a knife or pin. Pyrite is hard and will shatter.

 

[el padron]

Ok guys I understand most people that have been prospecting for quite sometime can tell the difference right away. It's easy right?
Well, not for me. Lol. For instance, I found a rock about 3 inches long, half inch thick loaded with and sparkling with gold!...or pyrite. It looks exactly like gold. But in the shade the gold isn't as bright. But I can still see it. Making me think it could be pyrite. Now where I'm from we don't have much placer gold. Instead it's lode gold. So I'm expecting to crush rocks to find gold. Could this rock really have that much gold? It has hundreds of flakes sparkling at me.

I've read about pyrite and the fact that it will break if crushed, but gold will not. But these flakes are far to small to try crushing. Will these tiny flakes move around in a pan even if it is gold since they are so tiny?
I know they say gold will not move, but I'm talking about little tiny specs here. Like gold dust.
The area I found the rocks had ALOT of rocks with a silverish line on them. Like actual rock, not just color. Is this another metal? Nickel, chromium, silver?

I'm new and learning. Please bare with me.
Thanks!
Jordan

It really doesn't matter

Get a few test tubes, fill them with whatever it is that you have and cork the top.
Contact Garret, Present the props in a video, and mention that "you could never have found it without your AT gold…." about 7 or eight times, even it it feels unnatural and awkward to do so.

The check usually comes in the mail about 5 weeks later,

Good luck.

 

[Jordan P]

Gold is soft. It will bend and dent if you push on it with a knife or pin. Pyrite is hard and will shatter.

Am I able to crush a teeny tiny flake of pyrite with a pin?

 

[Underburden]

Too many folks confuse pyrite with mica.
Mica is much, much more common.

 

[Jordan P]

It really doesn't matter

Get a few test tubes, fill them with whatever it is that you have and cork the top.
Contact Garret, Present the props in a video, and mention that "you could never have found it without your AT gold…." about 7 or eight times, even it it feels unnatural and awkward to do so.

The check usually comes in the mail about 5 weeks later,

Good luck.

Am I missing something here?

 

[Jordan P]

It really doesn't matter

Get a few test tubes, fill them with whatever it is that you have and cork the top.
Contact Garret, Present the props in a video, and mention that "you could never have found it without your AT gold…." about 7 or eight times, even it it feels unnatural and awkward to do so.

The check usually comes in the mail about 5 weeks later,

Good luck.

Am I missing something here?

 

[jog]

This is a crappy pic but as you can see there is no shine or glitter from the real gold on left side, pyrite cube shines & has a different color
.

 

[IDdesertman]

An article on the subject...

Gold vs. Pyrite. The Difference Between Gold and Iron Pyrite

 

[Jason in Enid]

Am I able to crush a teeny tiny flake of pyrite with a pin?

Yes, it should still shatter when pressure is applied.

Gold is typically soft and rounded. Pyrite is typically boxy or rough looking. Mica is typically in flat flakes, it does shatter (crumble) under small pressure, and is flashy. Gold looks the same regardless of the angle you hold it. Mica will flash when the light angle is right, but it's not a solid, soft "glow" that gold has.

Another characteristic difference. When you get gold in the bottom of a pan (under water) it doesn't like to move. Mica moves VERY easily.

 

[Jordan P]

Thanks for the picture jog!

Thanks for the link Desertman. They explained it real well. Sounds like I got pyrite.

Thanks Jason, seems like I have a load of mica! Wish mica was the price of gold lol.

 

[Herby D]

Gold will never sparkle....

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[StreamlineGold]

Scrape pyrite with something the gold color rubs off and will appear silver