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Galena
PbS Cubic
Galena is the most important ore of lead, is often associated with silver minerals, and has been mined for at least 2000 years. It is found in hydrothermal veins and Mississippi Valley type deposits (MVT). Galena is a rare mineral in some granitic pegmatites. It is also found in the contact metamorphic skarn deposits. Most specimens are collected in active mines since it is an ore mineral and the good cubic cleavage makes recovering undamaged crystals from waste rock piles difficult.
The common crystal forms are the cube, octahedron and dodecahedron. About another 40 different forms are rarely encountered. Twinning is most common on {111} - spinel twins, which tend to form large platy crystals. Skeletal and hopper crystals are rare as are etched crystals. Crystals less than 5cm are commonly available from many localities.
Galena is an opaque mineral that comes in a blue gray color. The crystal faces can be shiny or dull (there may be some surface oxidation to anglesite or cerussite). Some of these altered crystals have an attractive white coating of alteration products. Rarely, you can get an iridescent coating on the crystals.
Bleiberg District, Gailtaler Alpen & Karnische Alpen Mts, Carinthia, Austria
Galena and sphalerite were deposited in the karstic Wetterstein limestone, similar to the Mississippi Valley type ores.
Although lead mining started more than 2000 years ago, the first written record about lead mining dates to 1333 and the last mine closed in 1993.
Common associated minerals are baryte, gypsum, anhydrite, fluorite, dolomite and calcite. Galena forms octahedral crystals to 4cm (commonly 1cm)
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| 5cm | © Peter Haas |
Galena is found either in mesothermal veins (0.5 to 2km long and up to 10m wide) and skarn deposits.
Mining began in the Roman period, but greater exploitation dates from the Turkish period. Mining is still being carried out in a number of areas.
Common associates include sphalerite, pyrite, chalcopyrite, albandite, tetrahedrite with a gangue of quartz, manganocalcite and rhodochrosite. Galena is commonly formed as cubes or octahedrons up to 20cm in size. Epitaxial growths, etch figures and spinel twins are frequently observed.
Droujba (Drujba) Mine, Djurkovo Complex, Laki (Luki), Rhodope Mts, Plovdiv Oblast, Bulgaria
Karaaliev dol deposit, Angel Yanakiev Mine, Madan ore field, Rhodope Mts, Smolyan Oblast, Bulgaria
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| 7cm | © Rob Lavinsky |
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| 3cm | © Rob Lavinsky |
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| 9cm | © Anton Ivanov |
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| 7cm | © fabreminerals.com |
Polaris Mine (Arvik Mine), Little Cornwallis Island, Nunavut Territory, Canada
The Polaris mine was discovered in 1972 and was the most noretherly metal mine. Production was between 1981 and 2002 with 20 million tons of 17% ore. The ores are considered to ba a Mississippi Valley type and are found in a dolomite between 60 and 300 meters in depth. Galena cubes to 6cm were found, although a lot of the ore is scalenblende.
We need some photos of good specimens!
Lafarge Dundas North Quarry, Dundas, Hamilton, Wentworth Co., Ontario, Canada
Březové Hory (Birkenberg), Příbram, Central Bohemia Region, Bohemia, Czech Republic
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| 3cm | © Jakub Jirásek |
In 2007 a couple of huge pockets lined with Galena crystals up to 3 cm were found by a couple of German and Dutch collectors.
The specimens became instant classics, they go for a fair amount of Euros these day and they drew a lot of attention during that year's Mineralientagen in Munich.
From the main pocket came plates of mainly octahedral Galena modified by the cube, in another pocket some plates were still attached to the underlying Aragonite. Specimens up to 20 cm wide were found, some of them had mirror-like lustre whereas other ones were etched or had a layer of Anglesite on them. Accompanying minerals were Sphalerite, Aragonite, Calcite, Dolomite, Smithsonite, Malachite, Rosasite, Pyrite, Marcasite, Anglesite and Cerussite.
Gonderbach Mine, Fischelbach, Bad Laasphe, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Perfect, isolated tabular twins to 3 cm across. They were named "Gonderbach slabs" (Gonderbacher Platten) for this locality.
We need photos!!
Mechernicher Bleiberg, Mechernich, Eifel Mts, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Herdorf, Siegerland, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
Pfannenberger Einigkeit Mine, Salchendorf, Neunkirchen, Siegerland, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Gonderbach twins to 5 cm across, also perfect spinel twins.
We need photos!!
Grimberg Mine, Niederdielfen, Wilnsdorf, Siegerland, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Neudorf, Harzgerode, Harz Mts, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany
Neudorf is famous for the fine galena and bournonite specimens that were recovered from the Meiseberg and Pfaffenberg mines during their active working period. The galena crystals, typically showing combinations of cubic, octahedral and dodecahedral faces - the so-called Neudorf habit - did reach impressing sizes of up to 12 cm along the edges.
Freiberg, Freiberg District, Erzgebirge, Saxony, Germany
Most of the mines in the Freiberg District produced fine groups of octahedral galena (2cm).
Most sought after by collectors are specimens of galena crystals on honey-yellow fluorite from Beihilfe Mine (pictures!!!).
Galena is often associated with fluorite, pyrite/marcasite, sphalerite and, occasionally, with sulphosalts. Gonderbach twins have also been found along with skeletal crystals in barite.
Silvermines District, Co. Tipperary, Ireland
160Mt of lead/zinc ore. Similar to Mississippi Valley Type deposits but with a synsedimentary component and much higher deposion temperatures in limestones and dolomites.
Mining started in the Middle Ages, but the mine is known to the mineral community for the discovery of a large vug (3 meters long, 1 meter high and 2 meters wide) in 1978 collected by Richard Barstow. This vug produced specimens of galena, honey-yellow sphalerite and pyrite. Galena occurred as mirror-bright cuboctahedral crystals up to 2.5 cm across. The primary minerals include sphalerite, galena, pyrite, barite and siderite. The mines are currently flooded.
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| 6cm | © Rob Lavinsky |
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| 3cm | © Rob Lavinsky |
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| 4cm | © Rob Lavinsky |
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| 3mm | © Marco Barsanti |
Much larger galena crystals are known from this area, for example cuboctahedrons up to 10cm from the Daira mine. A museum in Japan has a distorted cube about 12cm in size from the Ani mine. The mines are all closed and no more sulphides are coming out.
Shiraita mine, Niigata Prefecture, Chubu Region, Honshu Island, Japan
Casapalca, Huarochiri Province, Lima Department, Peru
Dal'negorsk, Primorskiy Kray, Far-Eastern Region, Russia
The mineral deposits in the Dal'negorsk area were probably known in the 12th or 13th centuries, but exploitation of the deposits started about 1900. The deposits are located in hedenbergite skarns. The deposits have produced a number of other world class specimens including calcite, fluorite, pyrrhotite, and quartz.
Galena crystals usually are cubo-octahedral crystals, but cubes and octahedrons are known (usually less than 4cm), which sometimes display growth steps. Spinel twins are relatively common (and are sometimes epitaxial on sphalerite and pyrrhotite). Mosaic, skeletal and lattice specimens can be up to 30cm in size.
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| 5cm | © Rob Lavinsky |
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| 8cm | © 2001 John H. Betts |
Nikolaevskiy Mine, Nikolaevskoe Pb-Zn-Ag deposit, Dal'negorsk, Primorskiy Kray, Far-Eastern Region, Russia
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| 7cm | © fabreminerals.com |
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| 5cm | © fabreminerals.com |
The Nasafjäll Silver mine is a hydrothermal Pb/Zn/As deposit with some Sb and Ag. The metal deposit lies in quartz lenses and gangues between the precambrian basement granite and metamorphic schists from the caledonian orogeny.
The ore was discovered in the 1620-ties and has been worked in three periods; The first period from 1635- 1659, the second from 1770 to 1810 and finally some test production in the 1850-ties. Due to the harsh climate, remote location and limited ore resources the operations has never been profitable. Good records on the annual production figures ( swedish text) can be obtained from the Swedish Geological Survey (SGU).
Galena occurs in gangues and lenses within the quartz, and lenses up to and exceeding 10 cm can be found even today.
I guess there will never be a lot of good material from here on the market, the location is still too remote ( 2-2 1/2 hour hike one way) and harsh ( Altitude 1000m above sea level at the artic circle) to justify any operations, whether for specimens or ore. It is a beautiful landscape though.
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| 3cm | © Jorge M. Alves |
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| 3mm | © Stephan Wolfsried |
The best Cornish galenas came from Chiverton Mine. Matlock produced fine octahedrons, often associated with calcite. Penines are Mississippi Valley Type ores. Mining for lead dates from the Roman times.
Blackdene Mine, Ireshopeburn, Weardale, North Pennines, Co. Durham, England, UK
The Blackdene has produced the finest British specimens. Loose floater groups of cubic or cubo-octahedral crystals up to 20cm on edge were found. Specimens also have associated fluorite and calcite.
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| 4cm | © Peter Haas |
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| 5cm | © 2007, Jesse Fisher |
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| 7cm | © Peter Haas |
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| 9cm | © fabreminerals.com |
Galena from here is associated with sphalerite, fluorite ankerite. Galena (cubo-octahedral crystals to 2.5cm) are found on ankerite.
Derbyshire, England, UK
Some 2000 named veins contained galena. 4 to 6 million tonnes of galena ore are estimated to have been mined (primarily in the 19th century, but dating back to Roman times). Cubo-octahedrons to 5cm. Was found primarily as veins in Carboniferous limestones in Mississippi Valley Type deposits. Also from Derbyshire came epiaxial growths of fluorite on galena.
Hampstead Farm Quarry, Chipping Sodbury District, South Gloucestershire, England, UK
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| cm | © Steve Rust |
Veins of quartz and ankerite with calcite, aragonite, barite and galena in sedimentary rocks.
Rhayader, Powys (Radnorshire), Wales, UK
United States of America
Cave-in-Rock, Cave-in-Rock Sub-District, Illinois - Kentucky Fluorspar District, Hardin Co., Illinois, USA
The district mines were first opened for their lead content, but when a market for fluorite developed, galena just became a mineral that was secondarily recovered.
Denton mine, Goose Creek Mine Group, Harris Creek Sub-District, Illinois - Kentucky Fluorspar District, Hardin Co., Illinois, USA
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| 8 cm | © 2008 Jesse Fisher |
Deposits in the area were worked by the French in the latter part of the 17th century. American settlers started moving in by the 1820's with most major areas being discovered by the 1840's. Lead production declined with the start of zinc mining in the 1860's the lead was a byproduct. Total lead produced was 72,000 tons and zinc with 846,000 tons. The only remaining mines are some tourist operations. The main ore bodies are in Ordovician rocks, but other age rocks contain subeconomic quantities of the minerals.
The crystal habit of galena changes from cubes to cubo-octahedrons to octahedrons as you go from early to late in the ore deposition process. Oxidation of the ore only led to minor surface alterations to anglesite and cerussite.
Baxter Springs, Picher Field, Tri-State District, Cherokee Co., Kansas, USA
The Tri-State district was apparently found in 1838, although the first major discovery was made in 1848. It produced $2 billion dollars worth of lead (3.7 million tons of concentrate) and zinc (22 million tons of concentrate) from 1880 to 1955. The ores are hosted in breccias of a Mississippian limestone that contains abundant chert. The ore deposits occur within an area of 100 by 30 miles.
Galena crystals occur to 25cm with cubes and octahedrons on a matrix of cream to pink saddle shaped dolomite crystals. The district also produced world class sphalerite and calcite crystals. Most of the mines were interconnected and it was possible to travel between the states of Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma without ever seeing the surface. The mineral dealer most associated with the district was "Boodle" Lane, who was active from the 1920's to the early 1960's. He saved many tons of fine specimens from the smelters. He would sell 200 pound "oil drum" lots at 50 cents a pound. The mines were allowed to flood about 1972. One of my favorite specimens at the Smithsonian are a couple of galena cubes (~5cm) from the Fisher mine. On each corner there are perched 1 cm cubes.
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| 11cm | © 2002 John H. Betts |
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| 7cm | © Rob Lavinsky |
Galena, Picher Field, Tri-State District, Cherokee Co., Kansas, USA
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| 12cm | © 2002 John H. Betts |
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| 4cm | © 2002 John H. Betts |
Mid Continent Mine, Treece, Picher Field, Tri-State District, Cherokee Co., Kansas, USA
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| 6cm | © Rob Lavinsky |
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| 3cm | © 2002 John H. Betts |
Viburnum No. 27 mine, Crawford Co., Missouri, USA
Buick Mine, Bixby, Viburnum Trend District, Iron Co., Missouri, USA
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| 9cm | © 2001 John H. Betts |
Joplin Field, Tri-State District, Jasper Co., Missouri, USA
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| 7cm | © 2002 John H. Betts |
Galena cubes occur to 30cm. on a limestone or chalcopyrite matrix. One large cube was found in 1971 that weighed a 1000kg (it was reduced to ore).
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| 5cm | © 2001 John H. Betts |
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| 9cm | © 2001 John H. Betts |
Mining began in 1834 and the mining was finished in about 1840 (over 1625 tons of lead) with only desultory operations thereafter.
The main ore bodies were on 4 nearly vertical calcite-galena veins which cut Precambrian Grenville-series crystalline rocks. The veins varied in width from a few cm's to a meter, but averaged 2 feet in width in the mines.
Elmwood mine, Carthage, Central Tennessee Ba-F-Pb-Zn District, Smith Co., Tennessee, USA
Simple cubes were extremely rare, most galena specimens showed numerous offset crystals. Galena specimens from Elmwood are among the rarer specimens recovered from the mine.
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| 6cm | © Rob Lavinsky |
Also known are pseudomorphs of 1cm calcite scalenohedra from Grube Friedrichssegen (near Koblenz).
Rohdenhaus Quarry, Rohdenhaus, Wülfrath, Niederberg area, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Kautenbach Mine, Bernkastel-Kues, Hunsrück Mts, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
Traversella Mine, Traversella, Chiusella Valley, Canavese District, Torino Province, Piedmont, Italy
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| 6mm | © G. Fraccaro |
Galena crystals from here are often pseudomorphed by anglesite or cerussite.
Edited 18 time(s). Last edit at 06/23/2009 01:24PM by David Von Bargen.
