Galena
PbS

     Galena is fairly widespread in all environments at MSH. It forms the substrate for several secondary minerals such as anglesite, cerussite, hydrocerussite and wulfenite.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:

Color is usually lead-gray.
Luster is metallic.
Diaphaneity is opaque.
Crystal System is isometric; Fm3m.
Crystal Habits include crystalline masses to several centimeters
   and sharp cubes or cuboctahedrons to 10mm.
Cleavage {001} is perfect.
Fracture is subconchoidal.
Hardness is 2.5
Specific Gravity is approximately 7.6 g/cm³.
Streak is lead-gray.
Associated Minerals include aegirine, albite, amphibole group,
   analcime, ancylite, apophyllite series, astrophyllite, biotite, calcite,
   catapleiite, cerussite, eudialyte, fluorapatite, fluorite, microcline,
   natrolite, polylithionite, rhodochrosite, siderite, sphalerite
   and wulfenite. Distinguishing Features: Crystal habit, color and luster.
Origin: Known from antiquity, comes from the Latin galena,
   lead ore or dross from melted lead.

CLASSIFICATION:

REFERENCES:
MinRec 21:311 (1990), Dana 8:64-65 (1997)

DISTRIBUTION AND RARITY AT MONT SAINT-HILAIRE:

Legend

Galena crystal
2cm x 1.7cm
© Gilles Haineault