Pyrrhotite Meaning: Healing Properties, Benefits and Uses

Pyrrhotite has a chemical formula of Fe(1-x)S (x = 0 to 0.2). It is a form of troilite, an iron-deficient iron sulphide stone. An interesting feature of this mineral is that it is mildly magnetic. But its innate stone troilite is not magnetic by itself. The magnetic force of this stone gradually decreases as its iron capacity increases.

The magnetic power of Pyrrhotite varies depending on the amount of iron in its composition. Troilite is also not often seen and obtained from terrestrial grounds. It is mostly seen in meteorites. Pyrrhotite, however, can be obtained from iron sulphide mines, often along with other minerals like magnetite, pyrite, and marcasite. It can be seen in veins near metamorphotic rocks and igneous rocks.

The term Pyrrhotite was derived from the Greek term pyrrhos meaning flame-colored. It was named by Ours-Pierre-Armand Petit-Dufrénoy in 1847. It has rightly been named such because its colors vary from a pale ochre to brown, bronze, and deep brown, giving it the appearance of a burning flame. The Sudbury Intrusion of 1949 is one of the oldest and largest meteor-created craters on the surface of the earth. This crater is also one of the richest places to extract Pyrrhotite, along with nickel and copper.

What is Pyrrhotite?

Pyrrhotite is known for its significant metaphysical effects on the human personality upon correct usage. It has endless uses that can stir the direction of one’s life to a new and enhanced one, within a short period of adaptation. Providing long-lasting security, relief, restoration, and emotional improvement are only some of its healing benefits, among several more. It is also a great enhancer of positivity in one’s life by improving priorities and balancing all energies around.

How to identify a Pyrrhotite?

Pyrrhotite is one of the easier iron sulphide gemstones to identify with its complex yet definite chemical formula of Fe(1-x)S (x = 0 to 0.2) and colors ranging from a pale ochre to yellow-bronze, pale metallic yellow, and even deep gray-silver.
Pyrrhotite belongs to the crystal system of monoclinic and the crystal class of prismatic.
Some unique crystal habits that it exhibits are its tabular and prismatic hexagonal prisms. It is often obtained as small granules or much bigger crystals.
Pyrrhotite is not seen with an identifiable cleavage and has a distinguishably uneven fracture, making it one of the few crystals with an uneven fracture.
This gemstone is well-known as it is found with two other highly identifiable crystals, namely quartz, and sphalerite.
Norites, a calcium-rich intrusive igneous rock is a common constituent of this stone and can easily be identified with this chemical connection.
Pyrrhotite’s Mohs hardness value is 3.5 – 4, making it fairly weak and brittle to a certain extent. It is because of this definite value that prevents it from being confused with other bronze-colored mineral stones.
One of the most evident features of this bright crystal stone is its magnetic presence. All Pyrrhotites obtained to date are believed to be magnetic, even if to the slightest extent. There is also no magnetic crystal with the color range of Pyrrhotites.
As an ore of nickel, some high-quality Pyrrhotite can have as much as 5% nickel content in it.
Other than its well-established spiritual uses, Pyrrhotite has been utilized in ancient times to obtain pure iron and sulphur from it.
In present times, however, this iron and sulfur-obtaining method is no longer practiced as there are more efficient, fast, and financially sustainable options available.
Another unique feature of this gemstone is its natural way of changing in volume when exposed to oxygen or moisture. This is the reason it is no longer used as a part of concrete as its expansion can and has led to the crumbling of the concrete in buildings.

Pyrrhotite Cuts

These gemstones are rarely obtained by themselves and are found with other naturally shaped gems and crystals. This is a determining factor in the natural shape of the crystals when initially extracted.

Pyrrhotite Shapes

With a Mohs hardness of 3.5 – 5 units, a naturally extracted and shaped can be broken into smaller crystal pieces to serve individual purposes. Though, it is not sectile or brittle enough to be carved into any shape other than its original uneven shape. To a pair of normal eyes, a piece of Pyrrhotite will appear to be any regular rock. It is only experienced and trained eyes that can identify a real and true Pyrrhotite.

Where is Pyrrhotite Found?

Since Pyrrhotite has geographical and chemical connections with quartz and pyrite, it is often found near these crystals, in hydrothermal veins and pegmatites.
It can most often be extracted from volcanic and mafic intrusive rocks, and also near massive nickel ores.
Sulphide deposits are also one of the biggest extraction grounds of Pyrrhotite crystals in the world.
The biggest sulfate deposits are in China, Canada, Russia, Australia, Mexico, Germany, Brazil, and several distinct locations and mines in the US.
In the US, certain sulphide and nickel mines are especially well-known for their abundance of rare and uniquely-hued mineral stones, Pyrrhotite being one of them.
Various counties such as Florence County, Forest County, Iowa County, Marinette County, and Oneida County are some of the most well-known mining grounds.
Some other rare yet bountiful mines are in Wood County, Rusk County, and Price County which have seen and obtained traces of Pyrrhotite crystals.
Most of these locations are known to be metamorphosed lava flow-effected grounds where volcanic sediments dominate the ground surface.
The high level of copper, lead, and heat in these areas often results in the transformation of minerals into another that may or may not be of spiritual benefit. However, it is the slight presence of magnetic forces in pyrrhotite that helps in its identification.
Locations with massive deposits of sulphide have the highest occurrence rate of Pyrrhotite, among other minerals like gold and silver minerals, galena, sphalerite, and chalcopyrite.

Pyrrhotite Stone Meaning

Being one of the rarest and naturally opaque mineral stones, Pyrrhotite was not utilized in ancient times as it is in use in the present day. Now that its intangible benefits have been identified, its collection and storage have become a fairly common occurrence in many parts of the world.

However, it has been and still is limited to a collector’s mind and knowledge to make use of this stone. The archaic Greek term for Pyrrhotite was Pyrrhos, meaning the color of the flame as it has hints of all the colors observed in fire, from bright yellow to a somewhat deep blue-gray at its origin. This color range is due to the presence of other mineral stones surrounding it. It also shows hints of red-brown color due to tarnishing in some locations.

This gemstone was discovered in 1835 by German professor and mineralogist Johann Friedrich August Breithaupt in the Mine Chichibu in Japan. The Chinese, more than any other Asian culture around the world, believed in the intangible hold certain gemstones have in the normal functioning of our lives.

Pyrrhotite was accepted as an emotionally and mentally healing stone whose presence in one’s house could stir one’s destiny in its meaningful direction. It is especially known to benefit young minds who may often be distracted and insecure about various aspects of the ever-changing world around them.

Pyrrhotite Healing Properties

As a personality enhancer and emotional healer, the most important property of Pyrrhotite is to provide the person with the security they require to conquer any challenge or out-of-usual situation in life. Therefore, the earlier this stone is incorporated into life, the better its effects are.

Apart from emotional healing, this stone also has certain physical healing properties related to the immune system, brain, thyroids, bladder, liver, and overall health of the individual. More than providing an external force that heals the body, Pyrrhotite enhances and fastens the natural recovering speed of the body, any physical injury or mental trauma that needs attention.

Pyrrhotite Metaphysical Properties

Strength: The adoption of this stone helps in the overall strengthening of the mind and body against any issue, mental, emotional, or physical in nature. By improving the immune system of the individual, this stone ensures that minor inconveniences in life are prevented and avoided through this strength.

Meditation: When meditating in the presence of Pyrrhotite, the individual is able to focus better on the most important aspects of their life while being in a stable mental state. Metaphorically, this stone helps in organizing thoughts better to make sure that the most important issues are taken care of before others.

Stability: A stable mind allows for clear thoughts and decision-making abilities. A stable mind is also able to choose peace and tranquility over violence and aggression in any situation, making it of immense emotional support.

Security: Being secure about one’s physical appearance and already-made decisions can be a tough task at times, especially for young individuals who still have their whole life to build. This stone not only stirs their mind in the right direction but also ensures that their intellect and intuition, are in fact, the most powerful forces.

Pyrrhotite Benefits

Adding to its physical benefits, Pyrrhotite is also known to enhance hormones and the functioning of the adrenal glands.
Its many functions also include the enhancement of the sexual organs. Due to its deep yellow-orange color, it has been associated with the Sacral Chakra.
Crystals with a red-brown or ochre-gray hue have been connected with the Sacral Chakra as it is associated with creativity and sensuality.
Likewise, with the presence of this stone, the functioning of the brain is coordinated with the abilities of the body. This helps in producing creative ideas and out-of-the-box answers to witty questions.
Also among its physical benefits are curing allergies, harmful addictive problems, and also minor sexual dysfunctions that may have been disrupting a regular lifestyle.

Pyrrhotite Benefits Spirituality

Similar to its physical property of relieving mental stress and trauma, its intangible benefits also incorporate a similar function of relieving any tension caused by irregular moods and emotions.

Many young minds tend to go through more feelings and emotions at a time than their senses can conjure up. This stone assembles these emotions and stabilizes them.
An important benefit of Pyrrhotite is that clears up unnecessary and harmful past thoughts that may be preventing the individual from letting in fresher memories and remembering them.
By letting go of all the unnecessary feelings and thoughts, the mind now has better chances of focusing on what is required t be solved at the moment.
With security and stability in life, an individual is bound to enjoy every precious moment and memory that they create with a sense of accomplishment.
Pyrrhotite has also been recognized as a charging and energizing crystal that recharges both the mind and the Chakras associated with it.

Pyrrhotite & Feng Shui

If you are a follower of the Feng Shui way of life, this gold-bronze-hued solid crystal can be of immense benefit to your house and your soul. When it comes to this ancient traditional Chinese practice, the placement of the crystal stone plays a crucial role in its functioning. According to experienced practitioners, placing a piece of Pyrrhotite in one’s wealth corner of the house which is the farthest left corner can bring in positivity and prosperous abundance.

Other beneficial areas where this gemstone can be placed are at one’s office desk or office room, near the front door of one’s house, and lastly, at the center of one’s bedroom or home. These practices allow the flow of life energy and enhance the thoughts of every member residing in this house.

Pyrrhotite Birthstone

The birthstones of Pyrrhotite are Aquarius and Pisces.

Pyrrhotite Chakras

Pyrrhotite is responsible for one of the lower and most significant Chakras associated with the human body. It is the Sacral Chakra. Situated under the bust of the person, this chakra has its distinct functionalities, making it especially essential.

Sacral Chakra: This core chakra is located near the waist, directly over the navel, and is represented by the color orange. This chakra is specifically responsible for creativity and the manifestation of sexual desires. It is through this chakra that one’s mind and body are well-coordinated to be able to function in regular day-to-day activities.

It is also the chakra that regulated the body’s relationship with other people and the surrounding environment. It regulates personal boundaries and stirs the body in its destined direction through reasoning and creativity.

What are the Uses of Pyrrhotite?

Pyrrhotite has numerous uses if the stone is utilized correctly. Its biggest use is healing all emotional trauma and physical injuries by preserving the immune system.
It secures the body from any unnecessary thought or feeling that may be having adverse effects on the mind.
Promoting creative ideas and out-of-the-box methods to solve issues and fulfilling immediate goals is another one of its many uses.
When the body is still, the mind has the required time to have clear communication with the soul. This stability can well be provided by this dark-hued stone.
Another one of its greatest uses is the improvement in one’s personality and view that it provides.
Being conscious of one’s thoughts and actions helps one be empathetic and sensitive to oneself and others around them.
Good reasoning helps one have an improved consciousness that allows them a better understanding and memorizing, the most important skills for a growing youth.
Another of its best uses is in the manifestation of desires. The practice of meditation while manifesting in the presence of this stone is often seen to be successful.
A clear mind is needed to think objectively and find reasons to be altruistic and compassionate towards all life forms around us.
This stone is also responsible for correcting the way emotions are channeled and expressed by the individual.
Being more conscious also means maintaining better control over one’s brain whenever one tends to get distracted to clouded with intrusive thoughts.
Pyrrhotite is also known to make one more self-aware about their thoughts, actions, and their resulting consequences.

Caring for Pyrrhotite

Being a fragile gemstone, Pyrrhotite is one that has to be taken keen care of. In its natural form, it can be cut and carved into only certain shapes but it should never be handled by those who are not professionals. With a Mohs hardness of 3.5 – 4, there are high chances of the crystal stone getting crushed into smaller pieces if mishandled.

It should be kept in mind that not all crystals are to be made into elixirs, including Pyrrhotite. It should not be ingested, licked, or swallowed, even in the slightest amount. It should carefully be stored in a cool and dry place, away from the potential presence of moisture.

When to Cleanse Pyrrhotite?

In case of sediment or dust collection on the surface of the crystal stone, it should be dusted with a dry and soft non-abrasive brush or cloth. It should not be rinsed with water as moisture and any liquid causes Pyrrhotite to decompose. Once the decomposing phenomenon has started, it cannot be stopped and you would be forced to do away with your crystal. To prevent such a situation, the piece of Pyrrhotite should be placed in a cool and dry place. It is best to store any crystal in an airtight and close-lid container.

How to Recharge Your Pyrrhotite?

It is accepted by Pyrrhotite users worldwide that this crystal does not require to be recharged too often. However, recharging such crystals is an easy method, by placing them under the moonlight, or allowing them to remain close to known recharging stones like Quartz or Amethyst. It may take 24 hours or less than 24 hours in the case of smaller-sized crystals.

Pyrrhotite Activation process

Pyrrhotite does not require any external mode to be activated. Crystals and powdered Pyrrhotite can be kept at home or in office areas as explained by most traditional Feng Shui practitioners. When bringing a piece of this gemstone inside the house, its placement plays a big role in the way it is expected to function. Therefore, being careful is necessary. Since Pyrrhotite is mildly magnetic, it is advisable to not place it in direct contact with stronger magnets as that would prevent its metaphysical properties from gaining light.

How much is Pyrrhotite worth? What determines Pyrrhotite’s price and value?

This dark and prismatic gemstone is priced per gram or carat. A gram of rough and unrefined Pyrrhotite will be somewhere between the range of $0.20 and $1.00 due to its abundance in most parts of the US. However, the finer quality of Pyrrhotite can be $3.90 to over $13.50 per gram.

Refined and processed Pyrrhotite can even have a worth as high as $315 per gram. Since this stone is most often only obtained by gem collectors, its price is determined through availability over all other features.

Pyrrhotite Impact

Pyrrhotite is one of the most sulphur and nickel-rich gemstones that should always be handled with utmost care as continual exposure would cause more harm than metaphysical benefits. One should either wear disposable gloves or make sure to wash hands after touching them. It should not be cleaned by putting it under running water or steam as the stone may decompose.

Does Pyrrhotite make a good jewelry stone?

No, Pyrrhotite is not known to be made into jewelry due to its brittle sectile nature. A Mohs hardness of 3.5 – 4 does not allow it to be transformed and carved into any piece of jewelry that can be worn or carried by an individual. Being a sulphide gemstone, Pyrrhotite also has a tendency to break down into several smaller pieces.

Pyrrhotite Real vs Fake

The easiest way to identify real Pyrrhotite is through its yellow-gray color range which is quite rare for an opaque gem. Its unique chemical formula of Fe(1-x)S (x = 0 to 0.2) is yet another way to identify real Pyrrhotite from fake ones.

Some other of its specific variables and mineral information is listed below:

Mineral Family: Troilite

Composition: Iron Sulfide

Color: Dark brown, deep ochre-yellow, golden-brown, brown, brown-gray.

Crystal habit: Tabular or prismatic in hexagonal prisms; massive to granular.

Cleavage: Absent or imperfect.

Fracture: Uneven

Tenacity: Brittle

Mohs scale hardness: 3.5 – 4

Luster: Metallic

Streak: Dark gray-black

Specific gravity: 4.58 – 4.65

Refractive index: Opaque

Fusibility: 3

Solubility: Soluble in hydrochloric acid

Crystal system: Prismatic

Crystal class: Monoclinic

Luminescence: Not fluorescent in UV

Pleochroism: Weak

Magnetism: Ferromagnetic

FAQs

How do I know if I have Pyrrhotite?

Pyrrhotite can be identified through its distinct color range, formula, tenacity, streak, and lack of cleavage. Pyrrhotite’s Mohs hardness value is 3.5 – 4, making it fairly weak and brittle to a certain extent. This gemstone is well-known as it is found with two other highly identifiable crystals, namely quartz, and sphalerite. Pyrrhotite belongs to the crystal system of monoclinic and the crystal class of prismatic.

Some unique crystal habits that it exhibits are its tabular and prismatic hexagonal prisms. It is often obtained as small granules or much bigger crystals.

How much is Pyrrhotite per carat?

A gram of rough and unrefined Pyrrhotite will be $3 due to its abundance in most parts of the US.

What is Pyrrhotite made of?

Pyrrhotite is composed of mostly iron sulphide and sometimes, nickel.

Where can Pyrrhotite be found?

Pyrrhotite can be found in abundance in China, Canada, Russia, Australia, Mexico, Germany, Brazil, and several distinct locations and mines in the US.

How rare are Pyrrhotite mines?

Pyrrhotite mines are not known to be rare as they are usually obtained by collectors and Feng Shui practitioners for their aesthetic glamor and intangible benefits respectively. They can be found in abundance in many mines in the US.