Seeing a flash of yellow in a rock is exciting, but is it real gold or just “Fool’s Gold”? This is the classic Pyrite vs. Gold dilemma that has frustrated prospectors for centuries. As experts in mining machinery at ZONEDING, we know the difference well. In this guide, we will share the simple, practical field tests that anyone can use to identify real gold. You won’t need any fancy equipment, just the right knowledge to tell the treasure from the trickster.

Table of Contents

• What is Pyrite?
• What is Gold?
• What are the Differences Between Pyrite and Gold?
  • Appearance and Color
  • Hardness
  • Density and Weight
  • Streak Test
  • Shape and Form
  • Magnetism
  • Malleability
• Where Are Gold and Pyrite Found?
  • Common Environments for Gold
  • Common Environments for Pyrite
• The Easiest Identification Methods: A Summary
• FAQ

What is Pyrite?

Pyrite is an iron sulfide mineral with the chemical formula FeS₂. It is one of the most common minerals on Earth. The reason it earns the name “Fool’s Gold” is its deceptive appearance. It has a pale, brassy-yellow color and a bright metallic luster that can look very similar to gold to the untrained eye.

Pyrite often forms in well-defined, sharp-edged crystals, such as perfect cubes, octahedrons, or multi-faced shapes called pyritohedrons. You’ll often see these perfect metallic cubes embedded in other rocks. While it is not valuable as a precious metal, it is sometimes as a source of sulfur for producing sulfuric acid. But if you are prospecting for wealth, finding a pocket of pyrite is a classic letdown.

What is Gold?

Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au. It is a dense, soft, shiny, and incredibly valuable precious metal. Unlike pyrite, which is a compound of iron and sulfur, gold is a pure element in its native form.

What does raw gold look like? In nature, it rarely forms sharp crystals. It is usually as irregular nuggets, tiny flakes scattered through rock, smooth “pickers” in a stream bed, or as branching, vein-like structures running through quartz. It has a deep, rich, buttery yellow color that is unmistakable once you’ve seen it. Gold does not tarnish or rust, so its color remains constant even after thousands of years. Its value comes from its rarity, beauty, and unique physical properties, making it the ultimate prize for any prospector.

What are the Differences Between Pyrite and Gold?

When you place Pyrite vs. Gold side by side and know what to look for, the differences become glaringly obvious. We will break down the key characteristics that will help you master gold identification and never be fooled again.

Appearance and Color

This is the first test, and it relies on careful observation. Gold has a deep, rich, metallic yellow color. Think of it as a soft, warm, buttery yellow. Pyrite has a much paler,brassy-yellow color that can sometimes have a greenish or silvery tint. It has a harsh, cold, reflective shine.

A great way to tell them apart is to observe them in both direct sunlight and in the shade.

• Gold’s Glow: The color and luster of gold will remain consistent. It will look rich and yellow in the sun, and it will still have a warm glow in the shade.
• Pyrite’s Glitter: Pyrite will glitter brightly in the sun, flashing light off its flat crystal faces. But when you move it into the shade, it can look dark and dull. Remember this simple rule: gold glows, while pyrite glitters.

Hardness

This is one of the most reliable and definitive physical tests. Gold is a very soft metal. On the Mohs hardness scale, it ranks between 2.5 and 3. Pyrite, made of iron sulfide, is surprisingly hard and brittle, ranking between 6 and 6.5.

• A Simple Scratch Test: You can use common objects to test the hardness. Your fingernail has a hardness of about 2.5. A copper penny is about 3.5. A steel knife blade or nail is about 5.5.
• The Mythical Bite Test: Old-time prospectors in movies are often seen biting a nugget. This is based on gold’s softness. Pure gold is soft enough that human teeth (hardness of about 5) can leave a small dent. However, this is a terrible idea! You could damage your teeth, and some minerals found with gold can be toxic. Stick to the scratch test.

Density and Weight

This difference is dramatic and instantly noticeable if you can hold a sample in your hand. Gold is one of the densest materials on Earth, with a specific gravity of 19.3 g/cm³. Pyrite is much less dense, with a specific gravity of around 5 g/cm³.

This means that for two samples of the exact same size, the gold will feel almost four times heavier than the pyrite. This “heft test” is very intuitive. If you hold a suspected nugget and it feels surprisingly light for its size, it is probably pyrite. If it feels unusually heavy, you might have the real thing. This incredible density is the entire principle behind gold panning and sluicing. When you swirl a pan of river gravel, the heavy gold sinks to the bottom while the lighter sand, gravel, and pyrite are washed away.

Streak Test

The streak test for gold is a classic, definitive method used by geologists, and it’s one of the best ways to identify real gold. The “streak” is the color of a mineral’s powder, which reveals its true, internal color. You perform this test by rubbing the mineral firmly across a piece of unglazed ceramic, like the back of a bathroom tile or the bottom of a coffee mug.

• Gold will leave a beautiful, bright, golden-yellow streak. The color of the streak will look just like the metal itself.
• Pyrite will leave a greenish-black or brownish-black streak. This is a dead giveaway. If the mineral looks yellow but the powder is black, you are holding Fool’s Gold.

Shape and Form

Nature builds gold and pyrite in very different ways. This is a key visual clue.

• Gold’s Form: Gold is almost never found in sharp, geometric crystals. It is found in irregular shapes—lumpy nuggets, smooth and rounded grains, thin flakes, or stringy, branching forms inside quartz rock. Its edges are typically soft and rounded.
• Pyrite’s Form: Pyrite, however, loves to form perfect, sharp-edged crystals. The most common shape is a perfect cube with flat faces and sharp 90-degree corners. You can often see tiny parallel lines, called striations, on the faces of these cubes. It can also form other multi-sided crystals. If you find a rock with what looks like tiny, perfectly formed metallic cubes embedded in it, you are almost certainly looking at pyrite.

Magnetism

This is a very simple but effective test you can perform. Gold is not magnetic. If you hold a strong magnet up to a piece of pure gold, nothing will happen. There will be no attraction at all. Pyrite is an iron sulfide, and because it contains iron, it can sometimes be weakly magnetic. While not all pyrite will stick to a magnet, some samples will show a slight pull. If your sample reacts to a magnet at all, you can be sure it is not gold.

Malleability

This test examines how a mineral behaves under pressure. It is another definitive difference.

• Gold is Malleable and Ductile: This means it will bend, dent, or flatten when you apply pressure. If you place a small gold flake on a hard surface and press on it with a nail, it will simply deform or smear.
• Pyrite is Brittle: This means it will break, crack, or shatter into powder when you apply pressure. If you press on a small piece of pyrite with a nail, it will crumble into tiny fragments. This brittleness is why pyrite shatters into dust in our impact crushers, while soft gold just flattens and requires different separation methods.

Where Are Gold and Pyrite Found?

Knowing the typical environment for each mineral can help you manage your expectations.

Common Environments for Gold

Gold is rare. It is typically found in two main types of deposits:

• Lode Deposits: This is gold that is still in its original host rock. It is often found in veins of quartz that cut through other rocks. Prospectors look for these white quartz “stringers” as a key indicator.
• Placer Deposits: This is gold that has been eroded from lode deposits and has traveled, usually by water. It is found in rivers, streams, and ancient riverbeds. The gold settles in cracks in the bedrock or on the inside bends of rivers where the water slows down.

Common Environments for Pyrite

Pyrite is everywhere. It is found in huge quantities all over the world and in all three major rock types:

• Igneous Rocks: It forms in cooling magma.
• Metamorphic Rocks: It forms under heat and pressure.
• Sedimentary Rocks: It often forms in oxygen-poor environments like coal seams and dark shales. You can find it almost anywhere, from mountain rocks to river pebbles.

The Easiest Identification Methods: A Summary

Here is a simple table to summarize the key differences between pyrite and gold.

Test	Real Gold (Au)	Fool’s Gold (Pyrite – FeS₂)
Color	Deep, buttery yellow. It glows in the shade.	Pale, brassy yellow. It glitters, dark in shade.
Hardness	Very soft (2.5-3). Scratched by a steel nail.	Very hard (6-6.5). Scratches steel.
Weight/Density	Extremely heavy for its size (19.3 g/cm³).	Much lighter for its size (5 g/cm³).
Streak	Leaves a true golden-yellow streak.	Leaves a greenish-black streak.
Shape	Irregular nuggets, flakes, and smooth grains.	Forms sharp, perfect cubes and other crystals.
Response to Hit	Dents or flattens (malleable).	Shatters or turns to powder (brittle).

FAQ

• What is the real price difference between Fool’s Gold and real gold?
  • The price difference is astronomical. As of late 2025, gold trades for over $2,000 per ounce. The value of pyrite is almost zero in comparison. It is sometimes sold as a mineral specimen to collectors for a few dollars, but it has no value as a precious metal.
• Is pyrite completely worthless?
  • Not completely. It is sometimes mined to produce sulfuric acid. More importantly for a prospector, pyrite is often a “pathfinder” mineral. It forms under similar geological conditions as gold. So, seeing a lot of pyrite can be a sign that you are in an area where gold could also be present. It tells you to keep looking.
• Can you find gold and pyrite in the same rock?
  • Yes, absolutely. It is very common to find gold and pyrite together in the same piece of quartz. This is exactly why it is so critical to be able to tell them apart. When we design a processing plant, our machinery is set up to separate the heavy, soft gold from the lighter, brittle pyrite and other waste minerals. This is exactly what the equipment we build at ZONEDING is designed to do.
• How is gold processed?
  • Processing gold from ore involves a multi-step process. First, large rocks are broken down into smaller pieces using crushers. Next, the crushed ore is fed into a grinding mill to turn it into a fine powder, which frees the tiny gold particles. Then, equipment like shaking tables uses gravity to separate the heavy gold from the waste rock. The final step is smelting the concentrated gold to purify it into bars. ZONEDING provides complete solutions and machinery for this entire process.