| Marcasite | |
|---|---|
| General | |
| Category | Mineral |
| Identification | |
| Color | Silver/Grey |
Marcasite jewellery is jewellery made using cut and polished pieces of pyrite (fool's gold) as gemstone, and not, as the name suggests, from marcasite.[1]
Both pyrite and marcasite are chemically iron sulfide, but differ in their crystal structures, giving them different physical properties. Pyrite is more stable and less brittle than marcasite. Marcasite can also react with moisture to form sulfuric acid. These are the reasons why pyrite is used instead of real marcasite in "marcasite" jewellery.
Marcasite jewellery is frequently made by setting small pieces of faceted pyrite into silver.[2] Cheaper costume jewellery is made by gluing pieces of pyrite rather than setting.[3] A similar-looking type of jewellery can be made from small pieces of cut steel.[3][1] The cut and polished marcasite pieces reflect light at different angles from its different facets giving it a sparkle.[4]
Thailand is one of the large producers of modern marcasite jewellery in silver.[citation needed]
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