Galena
A valid IMA mineral species - grandfathered
This page kindly sponsored by Bill Cordua
About Galena
Formula:
PbS
Colour:
Lead-grey
Lustre:
Metallic, Sub-Metallic, Dull
Hardness:
2½
Specific Gravity:
7.60
Crystal System:
Isometric
Member of:
Name:
Named by Pliny the Elder in 77-79 from the Greek "galene" meaning "lead ore".
Galena Group.
Galena is the primary ore mineral of lead. Worked for its lead content as early as 3000 BC, it is found in ore veins with sphalerite, pyrite, chalcopyrite, tennantite-tetrahedrite, etc. and in skarns, as well as in sedimentary rocks where it may replace carbonate beds or be deposited in pore spaces. The crystals are bright when fresh but often tarnish after exposure to air.
Galena is the primary ore mineral of lead. Worked for its lead content as early as 3000 BC, it is found in ore veins with sphalerite, pyrite, chalcopyrite, tennantite-tetrahedrite, etc. and in skarns, as well as in sedimentary rocks where it may replace carbonate beds or be deposited in pore spaces. The crystals are bright when fresh but often tarnish after exposure to air.
Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
1641
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:1641:0
GUID
(UUID V4):
(UUID V4):
3a1ccbd7-a21e-4ee5-9689-92235718ba11
IMA Classification of Galena
Approved, 'Grandfathered' (first described prior to 1959)
Classification of Galena
2.CD.10
2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
C : Metal Sulfides, M: S = 1: 1 (and similar)
D : With Sn, Pb, Hg, etc.
2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
C : Metal Sulfides, M: S = 1: 1 (and similar)
D : With Sn, Pb, Hg, etc.
2.8.1.1
2 : SULFIDES
8 : AmXp, with m:p = 1:1
2 : SULFIDES
8 : AmXp, with m:p = 1:1
3.6.5
3 : Sulphides, Selenides, Tellurides, Arsenides and Bismuthides (except the arsenides, antimonides and bismuthides of Cu, Ag and Au, which are included in Section 1)
6 : Sulphides etc. of Sb and Pb
3 : Sulphides, Selenides, Tellurides, Arsenides and Bismuthides (except the arsenides, antimonides and bismuthides of Cu, Ag and Au, which are included in Section 1)
6 : Sulphides etc. of Sb and Pb
Mineral Symbols
As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.
Please only use the official IMA–CNMNC symbol. Older variants are listed for historical use only.
Please only use the official IMA–CNMNC symbol. Older variants are listed for historical use only.
Symbol | Source | Reference |
---|---|---|
Gn | IMA–CNMNC | Warr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43 |
Gn | Whitney & Evans (2010) | Whitney, D.L. and Evans, B.W. (2010) Abbreviations for names of rock-forming minerals. American Mineralogist, 95, 185–187 doi:10.2138/am.2010.3371 |
Gn | The Canadian Mineralogist (2019) | The Canadian Mineralogist (2019) The Canadian Mineralogist list of symbols for rock- and ore-forming minerals (December 30, 2019). download |
Pronunciation of Galena
Pronunciation:
Play | Recorded by | Country |
---|---|---|
Jolyon Ralph | United Kingdom |
Physical Properties of Galena
Metallic, Sub-Metallic, Dull
Transparency:
Opaque
Colour:
Lead-grey
Streak:
Lead-grey
Hardness:
2½ on Mohs scale
Hardness:
VHN100=79 - 104 kg/mm2 - Vickers
Tenacity:
Brittle
Cleavage:
Perfect
{001}
{001}
Parting:
{111}
Fracture:
Sub-Conchoidal
Density:
7.60 g/cm3 (Measured) 7.57 g/cm3 (Calculated)
Optical Data of Galena
Type:
Isotropic
Reflectivity:
Wavelength | R |
---|---|
400nm | 51.9% |
420nm | 50.5% |
440nm | 49.1% |
460nm | 47.7% |
480nm | 46.6% |
500nm | 45.4% |
520nm | 44.4% |
540nm | 43.7% |
560nm | 43.1% |
580nm | 42.8% |
600nm | 42.7% |
620nm | 42.7% |
640nm | 42.8% |
660nm | 42.9% |
680nm | 42.9% |
700nm | 42.6% |
Graph shows reflectance levels at different wavelengths (in nm). Top of box is 100%. Peak reflectance is 51.9%.
Colour in reflected light:
White
Comments:
Often will form triangular pits in poorly polished sections.
Chemistry of Galena
Mindat Formula:
PbS
Elements listed:
Common Impurities:
Ag,Cu,Fe,Bi
Age distribution
Recorded ages:
Neoarchean to Quaternary : 2567 Ma to 0 Ma - based on 28 recorded ages.
Crystallography of Galena
Crystal System:
Isometric
Class (H-M):
m3m (4/m 3 2/m) - Hexoctahedral
Space Group:
Fm3m
Setting:
Fm3m
Cell Parameters:
a = 5.9362 Å
Unit Cell V:
209.18 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:
4
Morphology:
Cubes, octahedrons, cube-octahedron combinations and rarely dodecahedrons.
Rarely, platy twins.
Rarely, platy twins.
Twinning:
Spinel-type {111}, lamellar {114}
Crystallographic forms of Galena
Crystal Atlas:
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Data courtesy of the American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database. Click on an AMCSD ID to view structure
ID | Species | Reference | Link | Year | Locality | Pressure (GPa) | Temp (K) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
0000003 | Galena | Ramsdell L S (1925) The crystal structures of some metallic sulfides American Mineralogist 10 281-304 | 1925 | Colorado, USA | 0 | 293 | |
0010042 | Galena | Noda Y, Masumoto K, Ohba S, Saito Y, Toriumi K, Iwata Y, Shibuya I (1987) Temperature dependence of atomic thermal parameters of lead chalcogenides, PbS, PbSe and PbTe Acta Crystallographica C43 1443-1445 | 1987 | synthetic | 0 | 293 | |
0010043 | Galena | Noda Y, Masumoto K, Ohba S, Saito Y, Toriumi K, Iwata Y, Shibuya I (1987) Temperature dependence of atomic thermal parameters of lead chalcogenides, PbS, PbSe and PbTe Acta Crystallographica C43 1443-1445 | 1987 | synthetic | 0 | 293 | |
0010044 | Galena | Noda Y, Masumoto K, Ohba S, Saito Y, Toriumi K, Iwata Y, Shibuya I (1987) Temperature dependence of atomic thermal parameters of lead chalcogenides, PbS, PbSe and PbTe Acta Crystallographica C43 1443-1445 | 1987 | synthetic | 0 | 293 | |
0010045 | Galena | Noda Y, Masumoto K, Ohba S, Saito Y, Toriumi K, Iwata Y, Shibuya I (1987) Temperature dependence of atomic thermal parameters of lead chalcogenides, PbS, PbSe and PbTe Acta Crystallographica C43 1443-1445 | 1987 | synthetic | 0 | 293 | |
0010046 | Galena | Noda Y, Masumoto K, Ohba S, Saito Y, Toriumi K, Iwata Y, Shibuya I (1987) Temperature dependence of atomic thermal parameters of lead chalcogenides, PbS, PbSe and PbTe Acta Crystallographica C43 1443-1445 | 1987 | synthetic | 0 | 293 | |
0011372 | Galena | Wyckoff R W G (1963) Second edition. Interscience Publishers, New York, New York rocksalt structure Crystal Structures 1 85-237 | 1963 | 0 | 293 |
CIF Raw Data - click here to close
X-Ray Powder Diffraction
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Radiation - Copper Kα
Data courtesy of RRUFF project at University of Arizona, used with permission.
Powder Diffraction Data:
d-spacing | Intensity |
---|---|
3.429 Å | (84) |
2.969 Å | (100) |
2.099 Å | (57) |
1.790 Å | (35) |
1.714 Å | (16) |
1.484 Å | (10) |
1.362 Å | (10) |
1.327 Å | (17) |
1.212 Å | (10) |
1.1424 Å | (6) |
1.0489 Å | (3) |
1.0034 Å | (5) |
0.9893 Å | (6) |
0.9386 Å | (4) |
0.9050 Å | (2) |
0.8962 Å | (4) |
0.8568 Å | (1) |
0.8312 Å | (3) |
0.8232 Å | (3) |
Comments:
ICDD 5-592 Synthetic
Geological Environment
Paragenetic Mode(s):
Synonyms of Galena
Other Language Names for Galena
Basque:Galena
Bosnian:Galenit
Catalan:Galena
Czech:Galenit
Dutch:Galeniet
Esperanto:Galeno
Estonian:Galeniit
Finnish:Lyijyhohde
French:Galène
Allquifoux
Allquifoux
Galician:Galena
Hebrew:גלנה
Hungarian:Galenit
Italian:Galena
Japanese:方鉛鉱
Lithuanian:Galenitas
Low Saxon/Low German:Galenit
Norwegian:Blyglans
Polish:Galena
Portuguese:Galena
Romanian:Galenă
Russian:Галенит
Serbian:Галенит
Simplified Chinese:方铅矿
Slovak:Galenit
Slovenian:Galenit
Spanish:Galena
Galenita
Parakobellita
Galenita
Parakobellita
Swedish:Blyglans
Ukrainian:Галеніт
Varieties of Galena
Bismuth-bearing Galena | |
Blaubleierz | Galena pseudomorph after pyromorphite (see also plumbeine). Also used for coatings of epitaxial, oriented films of galena on pyromorphite. Literally "blue lead ore". |
Bleischweif | Old name for very fine-grained galena, usually caused by recrystallisation under tectonic stress. Older spelling is Bleyschweif. "Bleischweif" occasionally appears in discrete ductile shear zones which have been reactivated after the main ore has crystal... |
Bleispiegel | Slickenslide galena that forms mirror-like, flattish to slightly curved surfaces. Not to be confused with Bleischweif. |
Galène tricotée | Literally means "knitted galena". The German name is Strickblende when it occurs with colloform sphalerite or Gestrickter Bleiglanz when no colloform sphalerite is present. |
Gestrickter Bleiglanz | Acicular Galena. Literally means "knitted galena"; a similar designation is Strickblende but that name only can be used when colloform sphalerite is present as well. The French name is "Galène tricotée". |
Gold-bearing Galena | A gold-bearing variety of galena; probably microscopic or nano-inclusions of gold or gold-bearingminerals in the galena. |
Johnstonite (of Haidinger) | Possibly galena with a supposed excess of S. Mat be a mixture of Galena, Anglesite and/or Sulphur. |
Plumbeine | Galena pseudomorphs after pyromorphite (identical to Blaubleierz) - originally thought to be a hexagonal polymorph of galena (A. Breithaupt, 1863: Berg. Hütt. Zeit. 22, 36). |
Selenium-bearing Galena | A selenium-bearing variety of galena. |
Silver-bearing Galena | Silver-bearing galena. Usually, the silver is present as tiny inclusions of various silver sulphosalts. |
U-Galena | A variety of Galena containing uranium-derived lead of isotope Pb-206. |
Relationship of Galena to other Species
Member of:
Other Members of this group:
Alabandite | MnS | Iso. m3m (4/m 3 2/m) : Fm3m |
Altaite | PbTe | Iso. m3m (4/m 3 2/m) : Fm3m |
Clausthalite | PbSe | Iso. m3m (4/m 3 2/m) : Fm3m |
Niningerite | (Mg,Fe2+,Mn2+)S | Iso. m3m (4/m 3 2/m) : Fm3m |
Oldhamite | (Ca,Mg)S | Iso. m3m (4/m 3 2/m) : Fm3m |
Forms a series with:
Common Associates
Associated Minerals Based on Photo Data:
5,290 photos of Galena associated with Quartz | SiO2 |
5,228 photos of Galena associated with Sphalerite | ZnS |
2,819 photos of Galena associated with Calcite | CaCO3 |
2,663 photos of Galena associated with Fluorite | CaF2 |
2,652 photos of Galena associated with Chalcopyrite | CuFeS2 |
2,652 photos of Galena associated with Pyrite | FeS2 |
1,325 photos of Galena associated with Siderite | FeCO3 |
1,218 photos of Galena associated with Dolomite | CaMg(CO3)2 |
1,089 photos of Galena associated with Cerussite | PbCO3 |
1,077 photos of Galena associated with Baryte | BaSO4 |
Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping
2.CD. | Svetlanaite | SnSe |
2.CD.05 | Herzenbergite | SnS |
2.CD.05 | Teallite | PbSnS2 |
2.CD.10 | Alabandite | MnS |
2.CD.10 | Altaite | PbTe |
2.CD.10 | Clausthalite | PbSe |
2.CD.10 | Niningerite | (Mg,Fe2+,Mn2+)S |
2.CD.10 | Oldhamite | (Ca,Mg)S |
2.CD.10 va | Quiroguite | Pb23Sb6S32 |
2.CD.10 | Keilite | (Fe2+,Mg)S |
2.CD.15a | Cinnabar | HgS |
2.CD.15b | Hypercinnabar | HgS |
Fluorescence of Galena
Not fluorescent in UV.
Other Information
Electrical:
Semiconductor - used as a point contact diode in early radio wireless sets.
Thermal Behaviour:
In an open tube, gives sulfurous fumes.
Notes:
Decomposed by strong nitric acid, with the separation of some sulfur and the formation of lead sulfate.
Health Risks:
Contains lead - always wash hands after handling. Avoid inhaling dust when breaking. Do not lick or ingest.
Industrial Uses:
Principal ore of lead. Often contains silver and is a frequent ore of that metal as well.
Galena in petrology
An essential component of rock names highlighted in red, an accessory component in rock names highlighted in green.
Internet Links for Galena
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-1641.html
Please feel free to link to this page.
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References for Galena
Significant localities for Galena
Showing 32 significant localities out of 28,853 recorded on mindat.org.
Locality List
- This locality has map coordinates listed.
- This locality has estimated coordinates.
ⓘ - Click for references and further information on this occurrence.
? - Indicates mineral may be doubtful at this locality.
- Good crystals or important locality for species.
- World class for species or very significant.
(TL) - Type Locality for a valid mineral species.
(FRL) - First Recorded Locality for everything else (eg varieties).
Struck out - Mineral was erroneously reported from this locality.
Faded * - Never found at this locality but inferred to have existed at some point in the past (e.g. from pseudomorphs).
All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
Austria | |
| Niedermayr et al. (1995) |
| Niedermayr et al. (1995) |
Niedermayr et al. (1995) | |
Belgium | |
| Harjo Neutkens collection +1 other reference |
Bulgaria | |
| Bonev (2007) +1 other reference |
Canada | |
| Rocks & Min.: 64:32. +5 other references |
| Oscar Jose Tessari (1979) +1 other reference |
France | |
| Alain Steinmetz and Thierry Brunsperger ... |
| [var: Silver-bearing Galena] Mines +1 other reference |
Mines | |
| Belot (1978) +1 other reference |
Germany | |
| |
| Schachner (1961) +1 other reference |
| Wittern (2001) |
Ireland | |
| Barry Flannery (Personal Collection) +2 other references |
| Henwood (1871) +6 other references |
Italy | |
| Benvenuti et al. (2000) |
Peru | |
| Mineralogical Record 28 (1997) |
| Fluorite: The Collector's Choice. Extra ... +1 other reference |
| Mi.Rec. 28 (1997) |
| Mineralogical Record (1997) |
Poland | |
| Coppola et al. (2009) |
Portugal | |
| Luis Martins in-situ observations |
Romania | |
| Mârza +8 other references |
Russia | |
| Dobovol'skaya et al. (1990) +3 other references |
South Africa | |
| Wilson (2001) |
UK | |
| Fluorite: The Collector's Choice. Extra ... |
| Dunham Sir K C |
USA | |
| Rocks & Min.: 64:22&26. +7 other references |
| 355-376 +4 other references |
| 355-376 +4 other references |
Econ Geol (1992) +1 other reference | |
| Dana 7:I:592. +1 other reference |
Quick NavTopAbout GalenaUnique IdentifiersIMA Classification Classification Mineral SymbolsPronunciation Physical Properties Optical Data Chemistry Age distributionCrystallography Crystallographic forms Crystal StructureX-Ray Powder DiffractionGeological EnvironmentSynonymsOther LanguagesVarietiesRelationshipsCommon AssociatesStrunz-MindatFluorescence Other InformationGalena in petrologyInternet Links References Significant localities Locality List
Sweetwater Mine, Ellington, Reynolds County, Missouri, USA