Galena, Beautifal, but Dangerous

     Galena is a mineral that is composed of sulfur and lead. It is silver or gray-colored and is very shiny. It is said to have a metallic luster, which means that its surface shines in the light like metal. Galena crystals are usually cubic but they can also be shaped as a combination between a cube and an octahedron. Fibrous galena crystals exist, but they are very rare. Galena crystals have perfect cleavage. Cleavage, in the mineral world, is a term that is used to describe the way crystals break (or cleave) along certain planes. Galena crystals cleave in three directions which leaves the broken surface smooth and flat. When galena crystals break they usually have a stepped surface, though the designation of perfect cleavage still applies because they surfaces of these steps are still smooth, the mineral is merely breaking along many small planes. Due to the fact that one of its two main components is lead galena is very heavy and has a high specific gravity (read more about specific gravity in Barite: the Mineral That’s Used to Make Milkshakes, another post that I made at an earlier date, which you can find in my blog archive under December) Galena’s high lead content brings up an important point: galena is a poisonous material. Lead is a toxic metal and many of its compounds are poisonous as well, galena is no exception! As a rule you should always wash your hands after handling galena.
     Galena is used primarily as an ore of lead. Lead can be extracted from galena quite easily. In fact, ancient Greek and Roman writers described how rocky outcrops of galena could be reduced to lead during wildfires. Lead was once used to make many things, especially plumbing solder and pipes (the word plumber comes from the Latin word for lead, plumbum) However, it is used less frequently today because we have come to realize that it is a dangerous material. Nevertheless, lead is still used to make car batteries (which are also called “storage batteries”) ammunition, and solder designed for uses other than plumbing. Lead is also used to make stained-glass windows. Galena can be a source of silver because it is often found in the mineral as an impurity.
     Galena is found in Italy, France, Austria, and Germany. The ancient Romans mined the mineral in Spain and England. It is also found in Peru, Bolivia, and Mexico. The United States is also a good source of the mineral. There are 36 U.S. states that have significant galena deposits. Missouri is one of the best that I personally know of.
     Galena certainly makes a nice addition to any collection, but be warned: it is poisonous. You should always take special care when handling it!