Mineralpedia Details for Galena
Galena
Named for the Latin word galena which was given to lead ore or the dross from melted lead. Galena is a common mineral and widespread mineral with thousands of localities worldwide. Noted deposits include in the United States, the Czech Republic, Germany, France, England, Scotland, and Mexico. The most important ore of lead, Galena occurs in many environments including hydrothermal veins, contact metamorphic deposits, pegmatites, limestones, and dolostones.
Ref. Handbook of Mineralogy, Anthony et al (1995) and MSA at http://www.handbookofmineralogy.org/pdfs/galena.pdf
- Formula
- PbS
- Crystal System
- Isometric
- Crystal Habit
- Euhedral Crystals, Massive - Granular, Massive
- Cleavage
- Perfect, Perfect, Perfect
- Luster
- Metallic
- Color
- light lead gray, dark lead gray
- Streak
- grayish black
- Class
- Isometric - Hexoctahedral
- Fracture
- Brittle
- Hardness
- 2.5
- WebMineral
- View Galena
- Mindat
- View Galena
Galena from Sweetwater mine, Viburnum Trend, Reynolds Co., Missouri, United States
Large, highly reflective, perfectly cubic crystal, 2.3cm on edge, with corners truncated by the octahedral faces.
Galena from Dal'negorsk, Primorsky Kray, Russia
Galena composed of several different forms and combinations of cubo-octahedrons to 4cm.
Galena from Pfannenberger mine, Salchendorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Nice octahedral crystals of Galena to 1cm with cavernous growth and associated with black Sphalerite.
