Pyrite, also known as sulphur pyrite or iron pyrite, is a mineral with the chemical formula FeS₂ (iron disulphide). It commonly forms large cubic or pentagonal dodecahedral crystals, although it occurs in over 60 different crystalline forms. Perfectly formed crystals often display distinctive striations on each cube face, a feature characteristic of the mineral. Pyrite can also appear through fossilisation, in a process known as permineralisation.
Its metallic shine and golden-yellow colour have earned it the nickname “fool’s gold”.