RocksdayIron Meteorite vs Pyrite
The quickest way to tell Iron Meteorite from Pyrite: Pyrite scratches glass (Mohs 6–6.5); Iron Meteorite can't (Mohs 4–5).
Nickel-iron from the core of a melted asteroid. It is heavy, strongly magnetic, and shows a crisscross pattern on an etched slice.
Photo: Ji-Elle, Public domain
Brassy iron sulfide famous as 'fool's gold'. It often forms startlingly perfect cubes with fine parallel lines on the faces.
Photo: Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick tests
- Scratch glass: Pyrite scratches glass (Mohs 6–6.5); Iron Meteorite can't (Mohs 4–5).
- Magnet: A magnet sticks to Iron Meteorite but not to Pyrite.
- Streak (rub on unglazed porcelain): Iron Meteorite leaves a gray streak; Pyrite leaves greenish black.
- Heft: Iron Meteorite feels noticeably heavier for its size (specific gravity 7.3–8 vs 4.95–5.1).
- Texture: Iron Meteorite is a rock — a mix of grains or minerals; Pyrite is a single mineral.
Key differences
- Pyrite is brassy, harder and forms cubes. A magnet ignores it.
Side by side
| Property | Iron Meteorite | Pyrite |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Igneous rock | Mineral |
| Mohs hardness | 4–5 | 6–6.5 |
| Luster | Metallic | Metallic |
| Streak | Gray | Greenish black |
| Colors | Gray, Silver, Brown | Gold |
| Crystal system / structure | Nickel-iron crystals (Widmanstätten pattern) | Cubic |
| Specific gravity | 7.3–8 | 4.95–5.1 |
| Formula | — | FeS₂ |
| Found in | Canyon Diablo, Arizona; Gibeon, Namibia | Navajún, Spain; Huanzala, Peru |
Properties that are the same for both are grayed out.
How to identify iron meteorite
- Very heavy for its size, and a magnet sticks hard.
- Thumbprint dimples (regmaglypts) or a rusty brown crust.
- No cubes. A gray streak, not the black streak of magnetite.
- A polished and etched slice shows interlocking bands.
Structure: Nickel-iron crystals (Widmanstätten pattern)
Full Iron Meteorite guide →How to identify pyrite
- Pale brass-yellow metallic color.
- Streak is greenish black, not gold.
- Hard and brittle — it shatters rather than flattens when struck.
- Cubes with striated faces, or twelve-sided pyritohedrons.
Crystal system: Cubic
Full Pyrite guide →More comparisons
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between iron meteorite and pyrite?
Iron Meteorite is an igneous rock with a Mohs hardness of about 4–5 and a metallic luster, usually gray, silvery or brown. Pyrite is a mineral (FeS₂) with a Mohs hardness of 6–6.5 and a metallic luster, usually golden.
How can you tell iron meteorite from pyrite?
Pyrite scratches glass (Mohs 6–6.5); Iron Meteorite can't (Mohs 4–5). A magnet sticks to Iron Meteorite but not to Pyrite. Iron Meteorite leaves a gray streak; Pyrite leaves greenish black. Iron Meteorite feels noticeably heavier for its size (specific gravity 7.3–8 vs 4.95–5.1). Iron Meteorite is a rock — a mix of grains or minerals; Pyrite is a single mineral. Pyrite is brassy, harder and forms cubes. A magnet ignores it.
Could you tell them apart from a blurry close-up?
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