How to Spot Fool's Gold

Fool's gold, also known as iron pyrites, is a brass or gold-colored mineral that is easily mistaken for real gold. The early miners during the gold rush often thought they had made a fortune, only to discover their finds were not real gold. While real gold holds monetary value, fool's gold is virtually worthless. The most common United States locations for pyrite are in Utah, Colorado, Illinois, Pennsylvania and New York.

Instructions

Identify the Qualities of Fool's Gold

1

Look at the physical properties of fool's gold (also known as pyrite). It is easy to spot the light-yellow color with a metallic luster or brassy look. Real gold is recognized as more gold to silvery-yellow in appearance.

2

Check for the smell of sulfur. Iron sulfide is 47-percent iron and 53-percent sulfur. This iron-sulfide composition gives off sulfur-dioxide fumes that have a distinct odor (like rotten eggs).

3

Get a magnet to spot fool's gold. The iron sulfide in fool's gold will be attracted to the magnet, but pure gold will not.

4

Strike the pyrite (fool's gold) with steel. If it is truly pyrite, it will produce a spark. Pure gold is softer and will flatten.

5

Look closely at the face of the fool's gold (pyrite) crystal. It is most commonly striated, but it can also develop as coarse granules that are easy to spot.

6

Test for fool's gold with a ceramic tile. Scratch a real gold nugget on the tile, and it will leave a yellow-gold streak. If the nugget is fool's gold, it will leave a greenish-black streak.

7

Scratch the metal to determine the hardness. Real gold can be cut, but fool's gold has a brittle hardness and a specific gravity of five.

8

Compare the shape of the gold. Real gold is most common in nuggets or small sheets while pyrite is most often found in cubes or octahedrons.