Provenite

Sparta

AreaDraft data

38.0778° N, 89.7285° W · ± 1 km

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

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Minerals found here

Pyrite

Pyrite at Sparta

Pennsylvanian plant fossils locally replaced by pyrite or marcasite

Disc-shaped pyrite 'sun' from shale near Sparta, Illinois.
Disc-shaped pyrite 'sun' from shale near Sparta, Illinois.
Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
Thin radiating pyrite disc from a shale seam in the Sparta coal area, Illinois.
Thin radiating pyrite disc from a shale seam in the Sparta coal area, Illinois.
Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
Flat, lustrous pyrite sun from the Sparta area, Illinois.
Flat, lustrous pyrite sun from the Sparta area, Illinois.
Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
Formula
FeS₂
Morphology
Pyritized fossil replacements; disseminated grains
Color / luster
Brassy to altered iron-sulfide material
Associated minerals
Marcasitecarbonaceous plant fossils
Surface features
Replacement textures in fossil material
Availability
Unknown
History
Reported from coal-measure roadcuts and former strip-mine exposures around Sparta

Sources: SRC-002

About Pyrite →

Geology of the locality

Setting
Pennsylvanian coal-measure exposures of the Carbondale Formation
Type
Sedimentary
Host rock
Shale; sandstone; coal
Region
Illinois
Country
United States

Coordinates are approximate. Mineral collecting is reported from roadcuts and former strip-mine exposures; verify ownership and access permission.

Sources: SRC-002

Sources

  1. SRC-002 · Website
    Sparta: Fossil Hunting in Randolph County, IllinoisRockHoundR · 2026 · RockHoundR

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.