Often called Fool's Gold, this common sulfide is easily distinguished from true gold by its brittle nature and greenish-black streak. It frequently forms perfect cubic or pyritohedral crystals and is found in a wide variety of geological environments ranging from sedimentary shales to hydrothermal ore deposits.
Is this gold sulfides?
5-step field checkRun through these checks against the specimen in your hand. The more boxes tick, the more confident the ID.
- 1Test the hardnessTry to scratch gold sulfides with a known reference. Gold Sulfides sits at Mohs 6-6.5, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Gold Sulfides leaves a greenish-black streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Gold Sulfides typically shows a metallic luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: pale brass-yellow.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: cubic. Typical habit: cubes, pyritohedrons, massive.
Often confused with
Gold Sulfides vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Gold Sulfides is noticeably harder (Mohs 6-6.5 vs. 3.5-4).
How to tell apart: Gold Sulfides is noticeably harder (Mohs 6-6.5 vs. 2.5-3); streak differs, so Gold Sulfides leaves greenish-black, Gold leaves golden yellow.
How to tell apart: Streak differs, so Gold Sulfides leaves greenish-black, Arsenopyrite leaves black.
Often found alongside gold sulfides
Minerals reported to co-occur with gold sulfides. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- FeS₂
- Mohs hardness
- 6-6.5
- Density
- 4.8-5.2 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- Greenish-black
- Luster
- Metallic
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Crystal system
- Cubic
- Crystal habit
- Cubes, Pyritohedrons, Massive
- Cleavage
- Poor
- Rarity
- Common
- Uses
- Collector, Industrial, Jewelry
- Host rock
- Hydrothermal Veins, Sedimentary Rocks
- Typical price
- $5-50 thumbnail, $20-200 cabinet
Where rockhounds find gold sulfides
1 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Spain
- Peru
- USA
- Russia
- Peru
Field-hunting tip
Look in hydrothermal veins, sedimentary rocks country, the host setting where gold sulfides typically forms. If you start seeing quartz, galena, sphalerite in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a cubes, pyritohedrons, massive habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in Georgia. Start trip planning there.
More gold sulfides photos
Common questions
How do you identify gold sulfides?+
Where is gold sulfides found?+
Can I find gold sulfides in the United States?+
How much is gold sulfides worth?+
What rocks look like gold sulfides?+
What minerals are found with gold sulfides?+
What kind of rock does gold sulfides form in?+
What is gold sulfides used for?+
Find gold sulfides on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
