Quartz Crystal

In my opinion, fools gold looks absolutely nothing like the real thing, which is probably how it got its name. The scientific name for fools gold is iron pyrite, which is an iron sulfide. Although its name is widespread today, the mineral’s uses are somewhat limited.

Centuries ago, fools gold was used as ignition in firearms, but that use has long been antiquated. In the early 20th century, iron pyrite was used in radio receivers, although the vacuum tube eventually overtook it. There is some hope for a pragmatic use of fools gold however; researchers are experimenting with the mineral to see if the cost efficient material can be utilized in photovoltaic solar panels.