Pyrite

(pahy - rahyt)
Main Origins:
Egypt, Greece, India, the U.S., Australia, China, Spain, Russia, and South Africa.

What is Pyrite?

Person holding a pyrite crystal

Pyrite minerals come from ancient rocks dating back millions of years. It’s an iron disulfide in the chemical sense, found as an accessory mineral in hydrothermal veins, sedimentary rocks, and metamorphic rocks. 

While brass-yellow is its usual color, it shows many inclusions of silver, black, brown, red, orange, green, and blue colors. 

Pyrite works like magic in the spiritual world for stamina, energy, enthusiasm, positivity, prosperity, focus, manifestation, and brain power. 

Did you know Pyrite exists as cathedrals, twins, points, geodes, spheres, concretions, obelisks, masses, cubic, pyramidal, and octahedral crystal shapes?

It was famous for centuries as fool’s gold or fake gold. Pyrite has a golden-yellow metallic shine and color, mimicking the tone of real gold. 

Fun Fact: Real gold is found in Pyrite, but in a negligible amount. It’s called invisible gold.

Pyrite Metaphysical Properties & Benefits

Pyrite jewelry has been used for 4,000 years, and it’s no surprise many ancient cultures associate this crystal with sun deities, spirits, and Gods.

Pyrite is ruled by sun Gods, like Ra (Egyptian), Inti (Incan), Sol (Norse), Suryadev (Hindu), Huitzilopochtli (Aztec), and Amaterasu Ōmikami (Japanese). 

In planetary rulers, Mars and Sun are good for activating Pyrite. Mars is the planet of strength, willpower, and passion, while the Sun is associated with success, creativity, and vitality. 

You can cleanse, charge, activate, or program it with elements of Fire and Earth for the Pyrite benefits we’ll learn today. 

Because they are inclusions of several colors in Pyrite crystals, they open the Crown, Third Eye, Heart, Solar Plexus, Sacral, and Root Chakras. Pyrite also opens the secondary chakra of the Sun (different from the Solar Plexus).

Pyrite Healing Properties and Benefits

Inspiration

  • Pyrite lights the inner fire. It makes you optimistic, hopeful, and confident by having a positive outlook in life. 
  • The best way to light your inner fire with Pyrite is by charging it with Fire energy. Hold the crystal before a candle for a few minutes to do this. 

Vitality

  • Did you know Pyrite activates the kundalini energy? You’ll feel stronger, healthier, and more powerful when Pyrite activates the life force inside you.
  • Activate Pyrite by keeping it under sunlight for five minutes. Next, place it on your pelvic area to activate the kundalini energy. 

Concentration

  • Pyrite is a balancing stone that helps you stop the mind chatter and negative self-talk. You’ll find it easier to focus on work or career with a charged Pyrite by your side. 
  • Charge the Pyrite crystal with positive affirmations or intentions to help you concentrate before placing it on your work desk.

Creativity

  • Pyrite nurtures fresh ideas and enhances your confidence to speak your mind. It improves creative thoughts, discussions, and answers. 
  • The best way to use Pyrite for creativity is sunlight. After charging, keep it on your work desk and start working. 

Brain Power

  • Not many know this, but Pyrite activates dormant areas of the brain to improve memory, retention, communication skills, and aptitude. 
  • You can charge Pyrite crystals for brain power by burying them overnight under three inches of soil.

Pyrite Spiritual Properties and Benefits

Man meditating nearby waterfalls

Prosperity

  • Did you know Pyrite is the stone of abundance? Keeping one on your dominant side, Pyrite attracts monetary luck, wealth, and abundance.
  • The best way to attract prosperity with Pyrite is by charging it with the early morning sun then placing it in your wallet or purse. 

Perception

  • Besides improving mental clarity, Pyrite enhances foresight, intuition, and awareness. You’ll feel empathic and perceptive about people and situations.
  • Activate Pyrite for perception by soaking it in moonlight energies overnight. Afterward, keep the charged crystal with you.

Manifestation

  • Did you know Pyrite can realize wishes? Pyrite manifests your needs, wants, and dreams, especially if they’re part of your spiritual destiny.
  • After charging it with Fire energy, set a manifestation grid with Pyrite in the center. Here’s how to set crystal grids for manifestation. 

Psychic Protection

  • Are you afraid of anything? Perhaps you battle with anxiety daily. Even if you feel threatened by invisible energies (hexes or curses), keep a Pyrite cluster close to you.
  • Before using the Pyrite cluster for protection, charge it with meditation, positive affirmations, and Fire energy. 

Spiritual Transformation

  • If you feel confused about the purpose and meaning of life, Pyrite can be of massive support. It helps you discover spiritual destiny, besides boosting self-reflection, awareness, and contemplation for karmic therapy.
  • Activate Pyrite for spiritual transformation by charging it with the healing sounds of singing bowls. For this, place the crystal next to the bowl when playing it.

Pyrite Side Effects

  • Overexcitement: Pyrite may overwhelm some people, especially if they’re new to it. Try cleansing it or using a balancing crystal with it. 
  • Astrological problems or doshas: It’s common for Pyrite to cause issues if your horoscope doesn’t match with its ruling planets. Consult an astrologist if this is happening to you.

Pyrite Meaning: What Does Pyrite Symbolize?

Hands covering flower

The meaning of Pyrite is protection. 

With Pyrite rings, bracelets, and talismans dating back to 2600 B.C., there are several traditional meanings to Pyrite. 

In ancient Greece and Rome, it was a Stone of Protection. Psychics and seers at the time used it for divination. It was also part of mirrors in the Middle Ages and jewelry in the Victorian Era. 

Native Americans regarded Pyrite as the Stone of Wealth, much like ancient Egyptian, Hindu, Norse, Incan, Aztec, and Japanese cultures.

Do you know where the name comes from? Pyrite comes from the Greek word for fire – pyr. The crystal was mostly known for its fire-starting abilities at the time. 

Fun Fact: During the Gold Rush in California, many gold hunters were tricked by Pyrite.

Varieties of Pyrites

  • Common Pyrite: Often described as brassy yellow, Pyrite has a metallic and reflective appearance. It’s good for strength, protection, success, focus, creativity, and manifestation.
  • Silver Pyrite: A variety of Pyrite with a reflective white tone, this crystal is also called Argentopyrite. It is often sometimes found with Chalcopyrite and is excellent for wisdom and enlightenment. 
  • Green Pyrite: Showing greenish tones due to Chlorite or Fluorite, this type of Pyrite is captivating and powerful. It’s best for universal connection, emotional healing, and confidence. 
  • Red Pyrite: Often seen with Barite, Hematite, or Quartz, Pyrite exists in dark or dull red colors from oxidized iron. Use it for grounding, protection, and passion.
  • Golden Yellow Pyrite: This is a type of Pyrite with a darker color, mimicking real gold to a finer degree. Use it to connect to the secondary chakra of the Sun for luck and transformation.
  • Black Pyrite: Showing up in black with cubical, druzy, and scale crystal formations, this Pyrite variety shows gold and silver sheens. They’re great for psychic protection, perception, and awareness.
  • White Pyrite: Usually found in Quartz as gold nuggets, White Pyrite can also exist with Galena and Barite, showing gold, gray, brown, orange, and white colors. It’s good for self-discovery, spiritual awakening, and wisdom. 
  • Liver Pyrite: Also called Hepatic Pyrite, this type of crystal has a dark blue color with red, brown, or orange shades. It’s pyritized Marcasite or Pyrrhotite and is excellent for detox, karmic therapy, and health. 
  • Cubic Pyrite: A common geometrical shape in a square shape, this Pyrite variety shows six cubic faces meeting at 90-degree angles. They’re excellent for stability, protection, and abundance. It’s commonly found in the Huanzala mine in Peru.
  • Pyrite Dodecahedrons: Did you know this variety is called the pyritohedral Pyrite? Crystals of this type have 12 faces and are known to amplify creativity, positivity, emotional healing, and manifestation. 
  •  Octahedral Pyrite: Another lesser known Pyrite formation, crystals of this variety have eight faces and are seen in a diamond shape. They’re great for luck, manifestation, and grounding. 
  •  Nodular Pyrite: When certain varieties of Pyrite form nodule-shaped concretions, they form this variety. They work against misfortune, anxiety, negativity, hopelessness, and fatigue.
  •  Botryoidal Pyrite: This type of Pyrite appears as clusters of rounded spheres with bulbous and rounded shapes. It’s great for patience, manifestation, courage, and confidence. 
  •  Pyrite Spheres: Another popular formation of Pyrite, found in this type of crystal – spheres. They range up to a few inches in diameter and are good for stability, harmony, and good luck.
  •  Pyrite Snake: A long Pyrite concretion that appears like a straight snake, this variety is found in hydrothermal veins and shows a green tint. It’s great for manifestation, renewal, self-sufficiency, and strength. 
  •  Twinning Pyrite: Two or more Pyrite crystals grow together in this variety. They’re great for manifestation, abundance, and inner power. 
  •  Pyrite Suns: Often seen in a flat disc-like shape with radial marking on one surface, this variety has a symmetrical surface. They’re great for good luck, creativity, and vitality. 
  •  Pyrite Bars: A natural formation of Pyrite crystals, this type of crystal forms bars between 1 inch to 15 inches. They’re excellent for amplifying energies and programming crystals, especially in crystal grids.
  •  Feather Pyrite: This type of Pyrite variety shows plume or feather-like patterns on it. Use it for manifestation, luck, and strength. 
  •  Cathedral Pyrite: When cubic Pyrite has growths resembling rectangular prisms like a gothic cathedral, they’re called Cathedral Pyrite. It’s excellent for manifestation, abundance, and good fortune. 
  •  Pyritized Fossil: Pyrite can fossilize ancient organisms like trilobites, pelecypods, snails, brachiopods, and other sea creatures. They’re excellent for universal connection and karmic therapy. 
  •  Pyritized Ammonite: Appearing with a golden ammonite shell, this type is formed when ammonites are Pyritized. They’re good for contemplation, forgiveness, and karmic healing. 
  • Rainbow Pyrite: Popular as Mystic Pyrite, this variety shows a rainbow flash with all the colors (not Chalcopyrite). It’s good for balancing all 7 chakras.
  •  Auriferous Pyrite: Also called Auriferous Gold and gold-bearing Pyrite, this is one of the Pyrite varieties with real Gold or Aurum. It’s perfect for mental, physical, and spiritual strength.
  •  Arsenopyrite: Not a true Pyrite, like Chalcopyrite, this type exists with Arsenic alongside iron disulfide. They show a silver color sans any yellow shades. Use them for detox, vitality, and strength. 
  •  Barite with Pyrite: Often called showing colors like orange, brown, yellow, white, black, and golden hues, this Pyrite variety exists in many shapes and formations. They’re good for multi-chakra balance and kundalini awakening.
  •  Hematite and Pyrite: Often showing dark red with black and silver hues, Hematite with Pyrite is an excellent grounding stone found in various shapes. It’s sometimes called Iron Pyrite, too.
  •  Calcite and Pyrite: Forming acicular, pointed, and cluster crystals with golden color, this variety with Pyrite shows white, black, and green tints. They’re good for wisdom, grounding, and universal connection.
  •  Fluorite with Pyrite: Many shades of Fluorite exist with Pyrite spheres in this variety, such as green, yellow, white, blue-green, and blue. They’re great for wisdom, psychic powers, and protection. 
  •  Muscovite with Pyrite: Showing white, indigo, green, black, and brown shades with golden hues of Pyrite, this type of crystal is popular for higher powers and spiritual connection.
  •  Pyrite in Quartz: Often forming with Orange, White, Clear, and Keokuk Quartzes, Pyrite appears with a golden sheen in this variety. Use it for protection, purification, and transformation.
  •  Marcasite in Pyrite: Appearing with epitaxial crystals on Marcasite, this Pyrite formation often makes Pyrite Suns, too. They’re good for protection, strength, and inspiration.
  •  Rhodonite in Pyrite: Popular as Pink Pyrite, this Pyrite type shows pink, white, and black colors from Rhodonite and a golden tone from Pyrite. Use it for harmony, good luck, and self-love.
  •  Tourmaline in Pyrite: This type of Pyrite shows up with Black and Green Tourmalines in many places worldwide. It’s good for protection from psychic harm and manifestation.

How To Cleanse Pyrite?

Crystals and Candles

  • Fire: Holding Pyrite for a few minutes at a safe distance before a candle flame removes negative energies stuck on Pyrite after rituals.
  • Soil: Burying Pyrite under three inches of soil overnight is a good way to reset its energies and deep cleansing. 
  • Seed Mantra: You can also chant the seed mantra of Pyrite – RAM – to cleanse the negativity and evil vibrations absorbed by it.

Questions and Answers

Is Pyrite safe in the water?

No, Pyrite is not safe in water because it can contaminate the water with sulfur crystals. You should never let water touch the crystal. 

Read more about 105 dangerous crystals to know how to handle such toxic crystals safely.

Can Pyrite go in the sun?

Yes, Pyrite can go in the sun for cleansing and charging rituals, but you shouldn’t leave it out in the sun for long periods as overexposure can affect its structural integrity.

Who shouldn’t wear Pyrite?

Libra, Taurus, Gemini, and Virgo signs shouldn’t wear Pyrite unless recommended by their astrologists. 

If your zodiac sign is ruled by the enemy planets of Pyrite, such as Mercury and Venus, avoid wearing Pyrite.

How to see if Pyrite is real?

Pyrite doesn’t get scratched by gold because it has a higher hardness, but it will shatter like common glass when struck by a hammer. The best way to identify if your Pyrite is real is by using a magnet – if it sticks, it’s Iron Pyrite.

Is Pyrite the same as Chalcopyrite?

No, Chalcopyrite is different from Pyrite because it contains copper in iron disulfide, unlike Pyrite. Chalcopyrites have a green, blue, or purple tone on top of the brassy yellow luster seen in Pyrites.

How do you activate Pyrite?

The best way to activate Pyrite is sunlight, but Fire energy is also good for charging this crystal. Learn other ways to charge crystals here.

What’s the best crystal to pair with Pyrite?

Pyrite works best with Clear Quartz, Amethyst, and Tiger’s Eye for purity, wisdom, and focus.

How to take care of Pyrite?

You should avoid cleaning Pyrite with water. Instead, use a soft bristle brush to clean the dust every week. Remember to keep it in a safe place, away from unexpected impacts.

Is Pyrite expensive?

No, Pyrite isn’t an expensive mineral. Pyrite costs $5 to $10 per carat, and rough Pyrites fetch a few cents per carat.

Does Pyrite melt like gold?

No, Pyrite doesn’t melt like Gold. When heated at high temperatures, it turns into Pyrrhotite.

What do Pyrite cracks look like?

Pyrite cracks show patterns of X, a star, or a cross, looking as if plants were trying to break through the mineral.

Interactions with Pyrite

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