Crystal Structure
NaCl-type structure (rock-salt).
Elemental Composition (by mass)
| Element | Mass % | Visual |
|---|---|---|
| Pb Lead | 86.60% | |
| S Sulfur | 13.40% |
Computed from simplified end-member formula. Solid-solution series, water content, and trace substitutions cause real-world variation.
IMA Abbreviation (Whitney-Evans 2010)
Gn
→ Galena
Pb sulfide
Standard symbol from American Mineralogist (Whitney & Evans, 2010). Used in thin-section labeling, phase diagrams, and IMA-style species records.
⏳ Long-term Aging & Care Timeline
sulfide tarnish (cosmetic)months to years
Trigger: air exposure
Intervention: Surface tarnish dulls cleavage faces. Wipe gently with soft cloth; don't polish.
Pronunciation
/ɡəˈliːnə/
↔ guh-LEE-nuh
three syllables (Greek)
⚠ Safety & Handling
☠toxicmoderate
Lead sulfide — Pb is bioaccumulative.
Handling: Wash hands after handling. No oral contact. Keep dust off food surfaces.
Information provided in good faith. Consult local hazmat regulations for transport and disposal. Severely hazardous specimens may require special storage cabinets.
Pseudomorph Relationships
Replaced by — this mineral commonly becomes:
→ Pyromorphite replacement
Galena oxidizes to pyromorphite in oxidized Pb deposits.
Bunker Hill, Idaho; Cumberland.
→ Cerussite replacement
Common galena oxidation product — preserves cubic outline.
Mibladen, Morocco; Tsumeb.
Replaces — this mineral is often a pseudomorph after:
← Pyromorphite replacement (rare)
Reverse — Pb chlorophosphate reduces to galena under sulfide-rich conditions. Rare.
Tsumeb.
A pseudomorph (Greek "false form") is a mineral with the external shape of another species — the chemistry has changed but the crystal habit is inherited.
Tenacity
Behavior:
brittle
Under stress:
Shatters into cubes
Cubic cleavage — taps produce small cubes; does not flatten.
Luster
metallic
Bright silvery on fresh cleavage; tarnishes dull lead-gray.
Diaphaneity (Transparency)
opaque
Metallic luster; lead gray opaque.
Magnetism
Category:
diamagnetic
Test result:
Slight repulsion
PbS; diamagnetic but very heavy.
Test with rare-earth magnet (N42 or N52 neodymium). Suspend specimen on thread for sensitive paramagnetic detection. Diamagnetic minerals are weakly repelled (visible only with strong magnets like bismuth).
Diagnostic Field Tests
Hardness→ Mohs 2.5 — knife scratches easily
Soft and heavy.
Streak→ Lead gray
Same color as the mineral; very heavy (SG 7.5).
⚠ Use dilute HCl (~10%) only on inconspicuous spots; rinse promptly. Smell-tests should be brief and ventilated. Taste-test ONLY halite/sylvite — never lead, arsenic, or sulfur minerals.
Specific Gravity
7.40–7.60
g/cm³
very heavy
PbS; classic "heavy" lead reference.
For comparison: water = 1.00, glass ≈ 2.5, quartz = 2.65, corundum ≈ 4.00, galena ≈ 7.50, gold ≈ 19.3.
Streak Test
lead gray
Soft, heavy, cubic cleavage — streak confirms.
Streak = color of the powdered mineral. Drag specimen across unglazed white porcelain plate (Mohs 6.5). For minerals harder than the plate, crush a small flake into powder and observe color.
Geological Setting
Environment:
hydrothermal
Host rock:
hydrothermal vein, replacement deposit, sedimentary exhalative
Companions:
The principal lead ore — universally found with sphalerite.
Cleavage & Fracture
Cleavage:
perfect 3 directions {100} — cubic
Fracture:
subconchoidal
Cubic cleavage; stepped cleavage faces typical.
Market availability: Common
Widely available in most dealer stocks. Specimens span all price tiers.
Collector tier: Cabinet Classic
World-class display species — sought after for cabinet collections, well-documented localities, frequent show-piece pieces.
Mohs 2.5
Vickers (~) 75 HV
Knoop (~) 85 HK
Nickel–Strunz
2.CD.10Dana
02.08.01.01Diagnostic properties
Specific gravity > 5 — heavy in the hand">Notably dense
Element composition by mass
Formula: PbS · molar mass: 239.26 g/mol
| Pb | 86.6% | |
| S | 13.4% |
Computed from atomic weights (IUPAC 2021). Site-occupancy groups (Fe,Mn) split equally.
Mohs Hardness
2.5
Galena sits at 2.5 on the Mohs scale — can be scratched by a steel knife.
Colors:
Streak
Lead-gray
Lead-gray
Crystal system
Isometric (Cubic)
Isometric (Cubic)
Pronunciation/ɡəˈliːnə/
Type localityFreiberg, Saxony, Germany (classical)
Discovery Known since antiquity
Sulfides & SulfosaltsSulfides
TL;DR · 1 min read
Galena is the principal ore of lead and the heaviest of common collector-class sulfides. Brilliant silver-gray cubes with mirror-bright cleavage faces define the species visually.
Galena is the principal ore of lead and the heaviest of common collector-class sulfides. Brilliant silver-gray cubes with mirror-bright cleavage faces define the species visually. Chinese galena from Daye, Hubei and Gejiu, Yunnan combines with sphalerite, calcite, and quartz in classic three-species matrix specimens.
The Chinese Angle
Daye District in Hubei and Gejiu Mine in Yunnan produce major collector galena. Daye galena often shows cubo-octahedral combinations with calcite and pyrite, while Gejiu galena tends toward octahedral habit and frequently associates with sphalerite, calcite scalenohedra, and rare supergene phosphates. Both districts are workhorse industrial sources turned premier specimen producers.
Cite this entry
APA
MyMineralBox Editorial Team. (2026). Galena. My Mineral Box. Retrieved May 23, 2026, from https://mymineralbox.com/mineral-encyclopedia/minerals/galena/
MLA
MyMineralBox Editorial Team. "Galena." My Mineral Box, 2026, https://mymineralbox.com/mineral-encyclopedia/minerals/galena/. Accessed May 23, 2026.
Chicago
MyMineralBox Editorial Team. "Galena." My Mineral Box. Last modified May 3, 2026. https://mymineralbox.com/mineral-encyclopedia/minerals/galena/.
BibTeX
@misc{mmb_galena,
author = {{MyMineralBox Editorial Team}},
title = {{Galena}},
year = {2026},
publisher = {My Mineral Box},
url = {https://mymineralbox.com/mineral-encyclopedia/minerals/galena/},
urldate = {2026-05-23}
}