Marcasite jewellery is jewellery made using cut and polished pieces of

pyrite The mineral pyrite (), or iron pyrite, also known as fool's gold, is an iron sulfide with the chemical formula Fe S2 (iron (II) disulfide). Pyrite is the most abundant sulfide mineral. Pyrite's metallic luster and pale brass-yellow hue giv ...

(fool's gold) as gemstone, and not, as the name suggests, from

marcasite The mineral marcasite, sometimes called “white iron pyrite”, is iron sulfide (FeS2) with orthorhombic crystal structure. It is physically and crystallographically distinct from pyrite, which is iron sulfide with cubic crystal structure. Both ...

. Both pyrite and marcasite are chemically iron sulphide, but differ in their crystal structures, giving them different physical properties. Pyrite is more stable and less brittle than marcasite. Marcasite can also react with moisture to form sulphuric acid. These are the reasons why pyrite is used instead of real marcasite in "marcasite" jewellery. Marcasite jewellery is frequently made by setting small pieces of faceted pyrite into

silver Silver is a chemical element with the symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical ...

. Cheaper costume jewellery is made by gluing pieces of pyrite rather than setting. A similar-looking type of jewellery can be made from small pieces of cut steel. The cut and polished marcasite pieces reflect light at different angles from its different facets giving it a sparkle. Thailand is one of the large producers of modern marcasite jewellery in silver.

History

Marcasite jewellery has been made since the time of the

Ancient Greeks Ancient Greece ( el, Ἑλλάς, Hellás) was a northeastern Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity ( AD 600), that comprised a loose collection of cult ...

. It was particularly popular in the eighteenth century, the

Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardia ...

and with Art Nouveau jewellery designers. When diamonds were banned from public display in Switzerland in the 18th century, marcasite, along with cut steel, was turned to as a replacement. When Prince Albert died in 1861,

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previo ...

entered a period of mourning, requiring her entire court to wear black and avoid opulent jewellery. Marcasite became popular as an understated alternative for the

nobility Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The character ...

References

{{Authority control Types of jewellery