Loading…
4
Found a piece of 'gold' in a Colorado creek that was actually pyrite, again.
I swear tourists keep picking it up and thinking they're rich, but the cubic crystal structure gives it away every time. How many times have you had to explain the difference between fool's gold and the real thing?
4 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In4 Comments
hannahcraig6mo ago
What's the most you ever thought you'd made?
8
pat_murray536mo ago
Ever think it was real gold too? I learned the hard way after getting excited over some shiny flakes. Now the crystal shape is the first thing I check.
7
jennifer_jones176mo ago
That first time I saw pyrite in the creek by my grandpa's farm, my heart absolutely stopped. I was maybe ten years old and already spending the money in my head. @pat_murray53, you're totally right about checking the shape first now. Gold is just kind of lumpy and melts into itself, while fool's gold has those sharp, perfect squares. It's a brutal lesson to learn, but once you see the difference you can't unsee it. Saves a lot of disappointment down the line.
2
nelson.wren6mo ago
Yeah that "brutal lesson" is so true. I still have a jar of pyrite from my first trip out west, just to keep me honest. @pat_murray53 has it right, you start looking for those squares right away. Real gold is just so soft and messy looking in comparison, like someone dripped candle wax. Once you've been fooled, you stare at every shiny rock for way too long.
4