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Name Origin | of Arabic or Moorish origin; it was applied to common crystallized pyrite by miners about 1800 |
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Chemical Formula | FeS2 |
Color | Pale brassy yellow to whitish; maybe iridescent |
Hardness | 6 - 6.5 on Mohs Scale |
Crystal System | Orthorhombic. Crystals abundant, tabular, pyramidal, ofteh with curved faces; also massive; granlar; radial; globular |
Cleavage | Distinct 1 direction. Fracture uneven. Brittle |
Specific Gravity (SG) | 4.85 - 4.92 |
Pleochroism | None |
Luster | Metallic; opaque |
Stone sizes |
Massive material exists that could cut cabochons of any desired size. Marcasite is often faceted, the stones having flat backs. This type of jewellery was very popular in the Victorian era. |
Treatment |
Marcasite is a fairly unstable mineral and is liable to disintegrate with the formation of ferrous sulphate and sulphuric acid. It should not be cleaned |
Note: Marcasite is in very close association with pyrite. They both have the same chemical formula, \(FeS_2\). However, they are different in structure. Marcasite belongs to othorhombic crystal system whereas pyrite is classified in the cubic system. Marcasite was used by the ancient Greeks, and it was also polished in large slabs by the Incas of Central America. There were surges of popularity for marcasite jewellery in the eighteenth century and the Victorian era, but marcasite is seldom seen in modern jewellery. It is quite brittle, and a sharp blow can easily crack a stone and loosen it in its setting. It should be noted that that what is known as marcasite in the jewellery trade is in fact pyrite.
Marcasite Occurrence: It forms at low temperatures, especially in sedimentary environments such as clays, shale, coal beds, and in low temperature veins. Marcasite is abundant and widespread throughout the world.
Marcasite Occurrence: It forms at low temperatures, especially in sedimentary environments such as clays, shale, coal beds, and in low temperature veins. Marcasite is abundant and widespread throughout the world.
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