白鉛礦

Elemental Composition (by mass)

Element	Mass %	Visual
Pb Lead	77.54%
O Oxygen	17.96%
C Carbon	4.50%

Computed from simplified end-member formula. Solid-solution series, water content, and trace substitutions cause real-world variation.

IMA Abbreviation (Whitney-Evans 2010)

Cer

→ Cerussite

Pb carbonate

Standard symbol from American Mineralogist (Whitney & Evans, 2010). Used in thin-section labeling, phase diagrams, and IMA-style species records.

Pronunciation

/sɪˈrʌsaɪt/

↔ suh-RUS-site

Latin cerussa (white lead)

Lapidary & Faceting Recommendations

Recommended cut:

oval / cushion

Also seen:

cushion, pear

Typical yield:

20% of rough

High RI + dispersion give bright stones but too soft (Mohs 3.5) and brittle for jewelry.

⚠ Safety & Handling

☠toxicmoderate

Lead carbonate.

Handling: Same as galena.

Information provided in good faith. Consult local hazmat regulations for transport and disposal. Severely hazardous specimens may require special storage cabinets.

UV Fluorescence

SW (254 nm)

Yellow

moderate

LW (365 nm)

Yellow

weak

Pb carbonate; UV-active.

SW = shortwave (germicidal lamp). LW = longwave (blacklight). Response varies with locality, trace impurities, and treatment.

Pseudomorph Relationships

Replaces — this mineral is often a pseudomorph after:

← Galena replacement

Common galena oxidation product — preserves cubic outline.

Mibladen, Morocco; 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:

Cleaves; cracks easily

Very brittle for a Pb carbonate.

Luster

adamantine

Diamond-like brilliance; high RI for a carbonate.

Diaphaneity (Transparency)

transparent-to-translucent

Adamantine luster; gem-grade transparent.

Type Locality

Tarnowitz — Poland

Described 1845 by Haidinger

› Browse all type localities

Diagnostic Field Tests

HCl test→ Fizzes; white milky PbCl precipitate

Lead carbonate; high SG also confirms.

⚠ 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

6.50–6.57

g/cm³

very heavy

PbCO₃; characteristic high SG for a carbonate.

For comparison: water = 1.00, glass ≈ 2.5, quartz = 2.65, corundum ≈ 4.00, galena ≈ 7.50, gold ≈ 19.3.

Streak Test

white / colorless

White streak; high SG ~6.5 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.

Twinning Laws

Cyclic / sixlingcontact

Pseudo-hexagonal star or wheel twin.

Market availability: Uncommon

Found at major shows and select dealers. Quality varies by locality.

Mohs 3–3.5

Vickers (~) 170 HV

Knoop (~) 185 HK

Nickel–Strunz 5.AB.15

Dana 14.01.03.04

Geological setting

Oxidation zone

Element composition by mass

Formula: PbCO₃ · molar mass: 267.21 g/mol

Pb	77.54%
O	17.96%
C	4.5%

Computed from atomic weights (IUPAC 2021). Site-occupancy groups (Fe,Mn) split equally.

Mohs Hardness 3–3.5

1
Talc 2
Gypsum 3
Calcite 4
Fluorite 5
Apatite 6
Orthoclase 7
Quartz 8
Topaz 9
Corundum 10
Diamond

Cerussite sits at 3–3.5 on the Mohs scale — can be scratched by a steel knife.

Colors:

Streak
White

Crystal system
Orthorhombic

Type localityTsumeb, Namibia (modern best)

CarbonatesCarbonates

TL;DR · 1 min read

Cerussite (PbCO₃) is lead carbonate, the aragonite-group analog where Pb replaces Ca. It is the iconic secondary lead mineral of the oxidized cap zones of lead-zinc deposits, where it forms transparent adamantine-luster crystals with extraordinarily heavy specific gravity (6.5) for a transparent species. Tsumeb (Namibia) is the world standard, producing massive reticulated twin specimens, snowflake-pattern penetration twins, and gem-quality single crystals over 10 cm.