Provenite

French Creek Mines (St. Peters)

MineClosedDraft data

40.1800° N, 75.7308° W · ± 10 km

Pyrite from Pennsylvania, United States, with photos of specimens from this locality.

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Minerals found here

Pyrite

On the same specimen

Same specimen Sphalerite with Pyrite

1 specimen photo(s) from this locality show pyrite with sphalerite together. The pairing comes from the photographer's file name and label, so the relationship between the two minerals is not specified.

Pyrite at French Creek Mines (St. Peters)

Historic Pennsylvania pyrite from iron-copper mines in altered limestone, in sharp cubes and octahedra.

Antique specimen of sharp pyrite crystals from the French Creek mines, Pennsylvania.
Antique specimen of sharp pyrite crystals from the French Creek mines, Pennsylvania.
Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
Pyrite specimen with sharp octahedral crystals to about 1 cm from French Creek, Pennsylvania.
Pyrite specimen with sharp octahedral crystals to about 1 cm from French Creek, Pennsylvania.
Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
Cluster of brassy pyrite cubes on massive sphalerite from the French Creek mines.
Cluster of brassy pyrite cubes on massive sphalerite from the French Creek mines.
Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
Formula
FeS₂
Morphology
Cubes and octahedra
Typical size
Octahedra to about 1 cm
Color / luster
Brass-yellow, lustrous
Associated minerals
Sphaleritechalcopyritemagnetite
Availability
Scarce
History
The iron mines were founded in 1845; the old specimens date from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Sources: SRC-405 SRC-413 SRC-414

About Pyrite →

Geology of the locality

Setting
Iron deposits formed where heat from diabase dikes converted surrounding limestone or marble into iron ore
Type
Sedimentary
Host rock
Limestone / marble altered by diabase
Region
Pennsylvania
Country
United States

Historic iron and copper mines at St. Peters, Chester County, a long-standing collecting locality. Coordinates are those of the village of Saint Peters (district level only).

Sources: SRC-413 SRC-414

Sources

  1. SRC-413 · Website
    French Creek Mine, St. Peters, Chester County, PennsylvaniaU.S. Geological Survey · USGS Publications Warehouse
  2. SRC-414 · Website
    Saint Peters, PennsylvaniaWikipedia contributors · 2024 · Wikipedia
  3. SRC-405 · Website
    Pyrite photographs and file descriptions on Wikimedia CommonsRobert M. Lavinsky (photographer; file descriptions) · Wikimedia Commons

Draft data from the Provenite workbook. Check entries against the cited sources before relying on them. Photos are open-licence images from Wikimedia Commons; the author and licence are given with each photo.