Image: <bdi><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q56247090" class="extiw" title="d:Q56247090"><span title="mineral collector and dealer">Robert M. Lavinsky</span></a></bdi> (CC BY-SA 3.0)
cubiccommonSulfides
Galena
PbS
This specimen displays well-formed, lustrous, metallic lead-gray cubic crystals, characteristic of galena. The crystals exhibit sharp edges and faces, reflecting light strongly.
Galena Physical Properties
Mohs Hardness
2.5Crystal System
cubicLuster
metallicStreak Color
gray to lead grayCleavage
perfect cubic on {001}Fracture
subconchoidal to unevenSpecific Gravity
7.5Colors
lead-gray, silvery-grayTransparency
opaqueType Locality
Neudorf, Harzgerode, Harz Mts, Saxony-Anhalt, GermanyMineral Group
SulfidesUses
primary ore of lead, source of silver, collector's item, semiconductor in early radio receiversAssociated Minerals
sphalerite, pyrite, chalcopyrite, quartz, calcite, dolomiteRarity
commonGeological Context
Galena typically forms in hydrothermal veins, often associated with other sulfide minerals, and can also be found in contact metamorphic deposits and sedimentary rocks. It is a primary ore mineral for lead and often contains significant amounts of silver.
