Judging quality
Look for mirror-bright cube faces and clean stepped growth. Galena tarnishes to dull grey over time; bright specimens have been stored well.
Sulfide
Galena
Lead sulfide that grows in flawless silver-grey cubes with a bright metallic lustre and remarkable weight.
Care
Contains lead — wash hands after handling and keep away from children and food surfaces. Never grind or polish.
History & lore
Galena crystals were the detector in early crystal radio sets, the 'cat's whisker' receivers of the 1920s.
Cultural history, recorded as tradition rather than as medical or scientific claim.
Common questions about Galena
- What is Galena?
- Lead sulfide that grows in flawless silver-grey cubes with a bright metallic lustre and remarkable weight.
- How hard is Galena and what is it made of?
- Galena is a Sulfide-family mineral with the composition PbS. It crystallizes in the isometric system and rates 2.5-2.75 on the Mohs hardness scale. It occurs in lead grey.
- Where does Galena come from?
- Notable localities for Galena include USA (Missouri, Kansas), Bulgaria, Peru, Morocco.
- How do you tell good Galena from filler?
- Look for mirror-bright cube faces and clean stepped growth. Galena tarnishes to dull grey over time; bright specimens have been stored well.
- How do you care for Galena?
- Contains lead — wash hands after handling and keep away from children and food surfaces. Never grind or polish.
See it in person
Photographs only go so far
Both rooms are open six days a week, and there is always someone happy to pull pieces out of the case so you can compare them under the light.