{"product_id":"pyrite-cluster-b-natural-peru","title":"Pyrite cluster (B) — natural, Peru","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eA cluster of sharp, mirror-bright pyrite crystals out of the Peruvian Andes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe mine most of this material comes from sits above 4,000 metres in Ancash. It was found in 1721, worked, abandoned, and left alone for well over two centuries before being reopened in the 1960s. A Japanese company bought it in 1964 and still runs it today, for lead and zinc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe pyrite is a by-product. Nobody is mining for it, and it has no real value as ore next to what they are actually extracting, yet the mine is thought to have produced more mineral specimens by weight than any other single mine anywhere. Everything on this piece came up a shaft because someone decided it was worth more intact than crushed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMineral:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003ePyrite (iron sulfide, FeS₂)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCrystal system:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eCubic\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin: \u003c\/strong\u003ePeru\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHardness: \u003c\/strong\u003e6 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale; hard, but brittle, and crystal edges chip rather than scratch\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTreatment: \u003c\/strong\u003eNone\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 5.2 x 3.5 x 7.5 cm\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 735 g                                                                                                                                          \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNote:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eKeep it somewhere dry. Pyrite reacts slowly with oxygen and moisture, and the reaction produces sulphuric acid, which is what damages a neglected specimen over time. Do not seal or varnish it. That traps moisture in rather than keeping it out, and makes the problem worse.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eYou will receive the exact piece photographed.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Crystal Showroom","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58642010112344,"sku":null,"price":210.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0778\/4880\/5720\/files\/pcp-b-1.jpg?v=1791119554","url":"https:\/\/thecrystalshowroom.com\/products\/pyrite-cluster-b-natural-peru","provider":"The Crystal Showroom","version":"1.0","type":"link"}