FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[Casimir Sarisky]

Several years ago I purchased this Pyrite specimen from a dealer, who I believed said it came from the Gavorrano mine in Tuscany, Italy. It did not come with a card stating its origins. I have checked online for similar looking pyrite specimens from Gavorrano on FMF, Mindat, and Google with no results. Is it possible this pyrite specimen is from another locality such as the Huanzala mine in Peru?

The first photo is from several years ago. I recently attempted to take better pictures but the luster made it nearly impossible. The second photo was the best one.

[Tobi]

[Herman van Dennebroek]

From 1972 to the end of 1980 I visited Tuscany several times. I collected minerals myself and bought minerals, especially pyrite, from miners and dealers. At that time there were 3 large mines that supplied pyrite and other ore minerals. Gavorrano, Niccioleta and Boccheggiano. Hardly any work was done in the Boccheggiano pyrite outcrop at that time. For all the mines and quarries in Tuscany, entering the mine sites was strictly prohibited and there were usually armed guards present who managed to find you after a short or longer time and escort you outside. Most of the pyrite from the dealers came from Gavorrano. In the course of the seventies, the supply of Peruvian pyrite on fairs increased. In the 1980s there was hardly any more supply of Italian pyrite.
If you placed fresh Gavorrano specimen next to fresh Peruvian specimens, there was a slight difference in color. Most Gavorrano pyrite was slightly more yellow than Peruvian.

It is very difficult to answer your question whether the specimen is Italian or Peruvian.

The photos, just a vew from my collection, were taken just as quickly and are for reference only. Photographing pyrite properly is quite a challenge and I don't have time for that at the moment.

[Casimir Sarisky]

[Sante Celiberti]

Hello, Casimir.

Having handled thousands of pyrite samples from Gavorrano, I never saw a specimen like yours.
Color, luster, sharpness and perfect cubic habit make me doubt that your specimen comes from Gavorrano. If it is Italian pyrite, it comes for sure from Niccioleta.
The most usual habit for the Gavorrano's pyrite was the pentagonal dodecahedron (pyritohedron) often combined with the cube and modified by the octahedron and diploid.
When the cube was dominant it near always showed modifications of the octahedron and diploid on its corners.

As for the crystal size of Tuscan pyrite, Niccioleta provided crystals of over 20 cm on edge and Gavorrano of over 15 cm.
On my galleries of both English and Spanish Forum you can see, for comparison with yours, dozens of pyrite samples from Gavorrano, Niccioleta and the rest of Tuscany.
https://www.topminerals.info/index.php?searchterms=Pyrite+Gavorrano&searchauthor=Sante+Celiberti&level=search

Warm greetings from Gavorrano.
Sante

[Casimir Sarisky]

[Sante Celiberti]

Hello, Casimir.

As far as I know the pyrite striations, more or less accentuated, express a typical tension between the cubic and pentagonal-dodecahedral habit; while the patterns on your specimen are an incomplete deposition of mineral layers (called "Gothic patterns" in collector's jargon). The latter quite often appear on the pyrite from several worldwide localities such Gavorrano itself, Navajun in Spain and many Peruvian mines.
Therefore they, taken alone, cannot be a clue to any locality.
I'm really sorry I can't help you find a country for your beautiful pyrite.

Best wishes for your renewed mineralogical passion.
Sante

[Casimir Sarisky]

I see, those Gothic patterns do look aesthetically pleasing on your pyrite specimens. I do appreciate you helping me out on trying to find the origins of my pyrite. I guess I may never know where it truly came from.

I did find the original listing for my pyrite specimen on a site that archives sold items. I was surprised that I found it. Unfortunately it just states that it comes from Gavorrano.

If I had to make a guess on my pyrite's origins, it would be from Niccioleta. I assumed the dealer wrote the wrong Tuscany mine in the listing, but I cannot say it with great confidence. I really wish it came with an identification label.

[Bob Morgan]

I agree with Niccioletta. The bottom crystal of Photo 1TM-J8Y on Mindat has a squared off hillock -perhaps due to growth related to a adjacent crystal that isn't there. Photo QXC-LQA has blocky structure like on your crystal. On yours this seems related to the hillocks.

When I went through my pyrite collection, the closest I could find to yours was from Huanzala, Peru. However, the cube edges were not filled out (others from there were pure cubes.) The hillocks were by contrast sharper than on yours. The elongated sides were mostly 021 pyritohedral, and the ends were straight 011 striations.

Square or rectangular hillocks are rarer than cathedral or gothic ended hillocks.

[Herman van Dennebroek]

Hello Sante,
Just for the record I mention here: the Gavorrano photos I posted (and more pyrite and other minerals) were all purchased from you in the summer of 1975. It brings back good memories.
Greetings,
Herman

[Sante Celiberti]

Hello, Bob.

Yes, Niccioleta is the only possible locality IF Casimir's specimen comes from Italy, although I must admit I never saw rectangular hillocks on the pyrite from there.
Gavorrano sometimes shows, together with gothic ended hillocks, some patterns that look like square hillocks; but it cannot be a possible candidate because the cubic habit is generally combined or modified. Of course, in Gavorrano there are pure cubes, but never so sharp and lustrous like those of Casimir.
In conclusion, I'm more inclined to a Peruvian locality where it is easier to find all the features shown by Casimir's pyrite: luster, sharpness, pure cubic habit, and... rectangular hillocks.

Warm greetings from Tuscany.
Sante

[Sante Celiberti]

[Casimir Sarisky]

[Matt_Zukowski]

If the dealer is still active, why not contact them and ask why they think it is Tuscan?

[Casimir Sarisky]