Galena
A valid IMA mineral species - grandfathered
This page kindly sponsored by Mark Kucera
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 and silver contents (the latter as minute inclusions of various silver sulphosalts) 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.
The most common weathering products are cerussite and anglesite.
Galena is the primary ore mineral of lead. Worked for its lead and silver contents (the latter as minute inclusions of various silver sulphosalts) 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.
The most common weathering products are cerussite and anglesite.
Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
1641
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:1641:0
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 IMAâCNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.
Please only use the official IMAâCNMNC symbol. Older variants are listed for historical use only.
Please only use the official IMAâCNMNC symbol. Older variants are listed for historical use only.
Symbol | Source | Reference |
---|---|---|
Gn | IMAâCNMNC | Warr, L.N. (2021). IMAâCNMNC 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, 185â187 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}; may be caused by exsolution lamellae (e.g. bismuth and bismuthinite, Meixner & Paar (1977); see also Ramdohr, 1975).
Fracture:
Sub-Conchoidal
Density:
7.60 g/cm3 (Measured) 7.57 g/cm3 (Calculated)
Optical Data of Galena
Type:
Isotropic
Reflectivity:
Wavelength | R1 (%) |
---|---|
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). 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 Ă
Âł (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:
Image Loading
Click on an icon to view
3d models and HTML5 code kindly provided by
www.smorf.nl.
Toggle
Edge Lines | Miller Indices | Axes
Transparency
Opaque | Translucent | Transparent
View
Along a-axis | Along b-axis | Along c-axis | Start rotation | Stop rotation
Toggle
Edge Lines | Miller Indices | Axes
Transparency
Opaque | Translucent | Transparent
View
Along a-axis | Along b-axis | Along c-axis | Start rotation | Stop rotation
Crystal Structure
Load
Unit Cell | Unit Cell Packed
2x2x2 | 3x3x3 | 4x4x4
Unit Cell | Unit Cell Packed
2x2x2 | 3x3x3 | 4x4x4
Show
Big Balls | Small Balls | Just Balls | Spacefill
Polyhedra Off | Si Polyhedra | All Polyhedra
Remove metal-metal sticks
Big Balls | Small Balls | Just Balls | Spacefill
Polyhedra Off | Si Polyhedra | All Polyhedra
Remove metal-metal sticks
Display Options
Black Background | White Background
Perspective On | Perspective Off
2D | Stereo | Red-Blue | Red-Cyan
Black Background | White Background
Perspective On | Perspective Off
2D | Stereo | Red-Blue | Red-Cyan
View
CIF File Best | x | y | z | a | b | c
CIF File Best | x | y | z | a | b | c
Rotation
Stop | Start
Stop | Start
Labels
Console Off | On | Grey | Yellow
Console Off | On | Grey | Yellow
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
Loading XRD data...
Data courtesy of RRUFF project at University of Arizona, used with permission.
Powder Diffraction Data:
d-spacing | Intensity |
---|---|
3.429 Ă | (84) |
2.969 Ă | (100) |
2.099 Ă | (57) |
1.790 Ă | (35) |
1.714 Ă | (16) |
1.484 Ă | (10) |
1.362 Ă | (10) |
1.327 Ă | (17) |
1.212 Ă | (10) |
1.1424 Ă | (6) |
1.0489 Ă | (3) |
1.0034 Ă | (5) |
0.9893 Ă | (6) |
0.9386 Ă | (4) |
0.9050 Ă | (2) |
0.8962 Ă | (4) |
0.8568 Ă | (1) |
0.8312 Ă | (3) |
0.8232 Ă | (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:GalĂšne
Allquifoux
Allquifoux
Galician:Galena
Hebrew:ŚŚŚ Ś
Hungarian:Galenit
Italian:Galena
Japanese:æčéé±
Lithuanian:Galenitas
Low Saxon/Low German:Galenit
Norwegian:Blyglans
Polish:Galena
Portuguese:Galena
Romanian:GalenÄ
Russian:ĐĐ°Đ»Đ”ĐœĐžŃ
Serbian:ĐĐ°Đ»Đ”ĐœĐžŃ
Simplified Chinese:æčé
çż
Slovak:Galenit
Slovenian:Galenit
Spanish:Galena
Galenita
Parakobellita
Galenita
Parakobellita
Swedish:Blyglans
Ukrainian:ĐĐ°Đ»Đ”ĐœŃŃ
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. |
GalÚne 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-bearing minerals in the galena. |
Johnstonite (of Haidinger) | Possibly galena with a supposed excess of S. Maybe 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. |
Steinmannite | Supposedly a variety of galena with part of the lead replaced with antimony and arsenic. Probably a mixture. Ref: Standard, 2 |
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 Galena 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 | MgS | Iso. m3m (4/m 3 2/m) : Fm3m |
Oldhamite | CaS | Iso. m3m (4/m 3 2/m) : Fm3m |
Forms a series with:
Common Associates
Associated Minerals Based on Photo Data:
6,191 photos of Galena associated with Sphalerite | ZnS |
6,025 photos of Galena associated with Quartz | SiO2 |
3,242 photos of Galena associated with Pyrite | FeS2 |
3,230 photos of Galena associated with Chalcopyrite | CuFeS2 |
3,091 photos of Galena associated with Calcite | CaCO3 |
2,896 photos of Galena associated with Fluorite | CaF2 |
1,433 photos of Galena associated with Siderite | FeCO3 |
1,387 photos of Galena associated with Dolomite | CaMg(CO3)2 |
1,225 photos of Galena associated with Cerussite | PbCO3 |
1,150 photos of Galena associated with Baryte | BaSO4 |
Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping
2.CD. | Svetlanaite | SnSe |
2.CD.05 | Teallite | PbSnS2 |
2.CD.05 | Herzenbergite | SnS |
2.CD.10 va | Quiroguite | Pb23Sb6S32 |
2.CD.10 | Clausthalite | PbSe |
2.CD.10 | Keilite | (Fe2+,Mg)S |
2.CD.10 | Alabandite | MnS |
2.CD.10 | Niningerite | MgS |
2.CD.10 | Altaite | PbTe |
2.CD.10 | Oldhamite | CaS |
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.
Please feel free to link to this page.
Search Engines:
External Links:
Mineral Dealers:
References for Galena
Reference List:
Brown, John Stafford (1936) Supergene sphalerite, galena, and willemite at Balmat, New York. Economic Geology, 31 (4) 331-354 doi:10.2113/gsecongeo.31.4.331
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 Section C Crystal Structure Communications, 43 (8) 1443-1445 doi:10.1107/s0108270187091509
Foord, E. E.; Shawe, D. R. (1989) The Pb-Bi-Ag-Cu-(Hg) Chemistry Of Galena And Some Associated Sulfosalts: A Reviewand Some New Data From Colorado, California And Pennsylvania. The Canadian Mineralogist, 27 (3). 363-382
Liu, H., Chang, L. L. Y. (1994) Phase relations in the system PbS-PbSe-PbTe. Mineralogical Magazine, 58 (393) 567-578 doi:10.1180/minmag.1994.058.393.04
Lueth, V. W., Megaw, P. K. M., Pingitore, N. E., Goodell, P. C. (2000) Systematic Variation in Galena Solid-Solution Compositions at Santa Eulalia, Chihuahua, Mexico. Economic Geology, 95 (8). 1673-1687 doi:10.2113/gsecongeo.95.8.1673
Deore, S., Navrotsky, A. (2006) Oxide melt solution calorimetry of sulfides: Enthalpy of formation of sphalerite, galena, greenockite, and hawleyite. American Mineralogist, 91 (2) 400-403 doi:10.2138/am.2006.1921
Significant localities for Galena
Showing 35 significant localities out of 30,397 recorded on mindat.org.
Locality List




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 | |
| Flannery (n.d.) +2 other references |
| Henwood (1871) +6 other references |
Italy | |
| Benvenuti et al. (2000) |
Peru | |
| - (1997) |
| Fluorite: The Collector's Choice. Extra ... +2 other references |
| - (1997) |
| - (1997) |
Poland | |
| Coppola et al. (2009) |
Portugal | |
| Luis Martins in-situ observations |
Romania | |
| MĂąrza +8 other references |
Russia | |
| Dobovol'skaya et al. (1990) +3 other references |
South Africa | |
| Wilson (2001) |
UK | |
| Dines (1956) +1 other reference |
| 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 |
Rocks & Min. +3 other references |
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
Indian Creek Mine, Indian Creek Subdistrict, Ebo, Washington County, Missouri, USA