Color: copper red or pale rose red
Streak: copper red
Hardness: 2 1/2–3
Specific gravity: 8.9
Cleavage: none
Fracture: jagged
Luster: metallic
Crystal form: cubic (but rare), usually forms dendritic or branching pattern
Transparency: opaque
Forms in basic volcanic rocks, and in the oxygen-poor environments where sulfide minerals are deposited.
For an explanation of the properties (in bold face), click here >>