How to distinguish galena from sphalerite?

Sulfides (salts of hydrosulfide acid) – H ₂ S. Sulfides make up 0,25% of the mass of the earth’s crust. Most sulfides have a metallic luster. Sulfides are in most cases non-solid—• do not leave scratches on the glass. All sulfides, with the exception of some varieties of zinc blende, are opaque and have a dark or colored streak. The color of most sulfides is constant, characteristic of each of them. Sulfides with a metallic luster are in most cases heavy, while those with a non-metallic luster are light. The most typical origin of sulfides is hydrothermal. In surface conditions, sulfides are mostly unstable compounds – they weather more or less easily and form sulfate, carbon dioxide, oxygen, and water compounds and become covered with a crust. Sulfides serve as ores for the extraction of various chemical elements and are of great industrial importance. Pyrites (sulfur pyrite, iron pyrite – FeS ₂ . Physical properties. Metallic shine. Solid. The color is light brass yellow. The line is black. There is no cleavage. Solid granular and dense masses; also inclusions, individual crystals (cubes, pentagonal dodecahedrons), druses, pseudomorphs on other minerals, sometimes loose (black). Cubic system. Mutually perpendicular shading is often observed on the crystal faces. Fragile. Features. Pyrite can be distinguished from other minerals by its constant metallic luster, great hardness, light brass-yellow color and black streak. Reminiscent of copper pyrite, which is often found together with it. It is distinguished by a lighter color (copper pyrite has a thick brass-yellow) and greater hardness (copper pyrite does not scratch glass). Pyrrhotite – Faith _1-x S (most often x = 0,1-0,2) Physical properties. Crystallizes in the hexagonal system. Crystals are rare, usually found in continuous masses or as interspersed grains of irregular shape. Metallic shine. The color is dark bronze-yellow with brown tarnish. The streak is greyish-black. Hardness 4. Quite fragile. Cleavage is imperfect. The fracture is uneven, finely shelled. Highly magnetic. Features . In appearance, especially in partially oxidized grains, it can be mistaken for pyrite. It differs from pyrite by clearly expressed magnetic properties. Chalcopyrite (copper pyrite ) – CuFeS ₂ Physical properties. Metallic shine. Reminds me of pyrite. Hardness is average. Color brass-yellow, golden-yellow (more densely yellow than pyrite); often covered with iridescent or blue tarnish. The line is black. There is no cleavage. Solid grainy, dense; inclusions, less often crystals and pseudomorphs of other minerals. The syngony is tetragonal. Fragile. Features. Chalcopyrite has a permanent metallic luster, medium hardness, a permanent brass-yellow color and a black streak. It differs from sulfur pyrite in color (sulfur pyrite has a lighter color), in hardness (sulfur pyrite scratches glass) and in the presence of iridescent tarnish; differs from gold in its streak (gold’s streak is golden yellow). Chemical properties. Dissolves in nitric acid. Variety. Talnakhit — cubic modification of chalcopyrite. Bornite (variegated copper ore) – Cu ₅ fez ₄ Physical properties. Crystallizes in cubic system, in hexoctahedral symmetry. The color of bornite when freshly fractured is dark copper-red; usually covered with a bright variegated (mostly blue) tarnish. The streak is greyish-black. Opaque. Semi-metallic luster. Hardness 3. Relatively brittle. There is practically no cleavage. Density 4,9-5,0. Features . Easily recognized by its color and variegated blue tarnish, low hardness. Due to its bright blue discoloration, it can be mistaken for covellite (when scratched with a knife, it reveals a true copper-red color). Galena (lead luster) —PbS. Physical properties. Metallic shine. Hardness is average. The color is lead gray. The line is lead-gray. Heavy. Cleavage is perfect in three directions along the faces of the cube. Upon impact, it breaks up into small cubes and forms stepped ledges. Solid granular (tabular), inclusions; also crystals (cubes, octahedra and pentagonal dodecahedrons). Cubic system. Features. Galena is recognized by its constant metallic luster, by its medium hardness, by its lead-gray color, by well-defined cleavage in three directions along the faces of the cube, by the fact that when struck, galena breaks up into small cubes and forms stepped ledges, and by its high density . It differs from similar minerals – molybdenum luster and antimony luster – in hardness – it does not write on paper. It differs from native platinum by the presence of cleavage. A constant companion is zinc blende (brown in color, diamond luster). . Cinnabar – HgS. Physical properties. Diamond shine or matte cinnabar. Soft or medium hard. Color bright red, dark red. The line is blood red. Cleavage is perfect in one direction. Heavy. Solid granular, dense, earthy masses, also deposits or inclusions; less often crystals and twins. The system is hexagonal. Features. Cinnabar is well recognized by its blood-red color and blood-red streak. The most characteristic companion for cinnabar is stibnite (lead-gray). Cinnabar is similar to realgar. It differs from it in color (realgar has an orange-red color). Chemical properties. Dissolves only in aqua regia. When carefully heating the powder with soda in a flask, it produces drops of mercury. Variety. Liver Ore – cinnabar is dark in color, contains clay and bituminous substances. sphalerite (zinc blende) – ZnS. Physical properties. The luster is strong, diamond-like, and metallic in dark-colored varieties. Hardness is average. Color yellow, rosin-colored, reddish, brown, greenish, brown-black, dark gray, black; rarely colorless. The line is white, light yellow, light brown, gray. Cleavage is perfect in six directions along the faces of the rhombic dodecahedron. Solid granular (tabular) masses, inclusions, crystals. Cubic system. Fragile. Features . Sphalerite is characterized by a diamond luster and medium hardness. The color of sphalerite is mostly yellow, brown, brown-black. The line is white, light yellow, light brown. Sphalerite is characterized by perfect cleavage in several directions. Companion: galena (lead-gray). Sphalerite is similar to wolframite, tin stone and titanium ironstone. Sphalerite differs from these minerals in its shine (sphalerite has a strong, diamond-like shine: wolframite, cassiterite, ilmenite do not shine so much). Wolframite, unlike zinc blende, is heavier and has perfect cleavage in one direction (zinc blende has perfect cleavage in several directions). Tin stone and titanium iron ore are heavier and do not have cleavage. Titanium iron ore has weak magnetic properties. Cassiterite has a light streak. Chemical properties. Powder dissolved in nitric acid, with the addition of a few drops of cobalt nitrate when heated, turns the solution green. Varieties. 1. Cleiophanes – light, transparent zinc blende of yellow color. 2. Marmatite – dark zinc blende containing iron. Molybdenite (molybdenum luster)—MoS ₂ . Physical properties. Metallic shine. Soft. Greasy to the touch. Writes on paper. The color is light lead gray. The line is light gray, metallic shiny (different from graphite). The cleavage is very perfect. Leafy, scaly. Solid masses and inclusions; rarely hexagonal lamellar short-columnar crystals. The system is hexagonal. Features. Molybdenite has a permanent metallic luster and a permanent light lead-gray color. Molybdenite is soft and easily rubbed between your fingers into a shiny powder (unlike graphite). Writes on paper. Chemical properties. Decomposes in nitric acid, releasing a white or grayish precipitate. Antimonite (antimony luster, stibnite) – Sb ₂ S ₃ Physical properties. Metallic shine. Soft. Color lead gray, steel gray; sometimes bluish or black discoloration. The line is lead-gray. Cleavage is perfect in one direction along the length of the crystal. Needle-shaped, prismatic structure, solid masses, elongated crystals, druses. Rhombic syngony. Hatching is often observed on the crystal faces. Fragile. It can easily be ground into powder with a knife. A thin fragment melts in a candle flame (melting point about 550°). Features. Stibnite differs from similar minerals in its constant metallic luster, constant lead-gray or steel-gray color, needle-shaped, prismatic aggregates, and the fact that it is soft. A constant companion of stibnite is cinnabar (red). It differs from lead sheen in lower hardness (lead sheen does not write on paper), and from molybdenum sheen in its aggregates (molybdenum sheen has leafy, scaly aggregates). Physical properties. The luster is pearlescent, greasy or matte, soft. The color is lemon but yellow. A feature of a lighter tone. The cleavage is very perfect. Leafy, scaly (leaves are flexible, but not elastic), granular, earthy, powdery, also plaques; rarely crystals. Monoclinic system. Features. Orpiment differs sharply from other minerals in its non-metallic luster, lemon-yellow color, lemon-yellow streak, and because it is soft. Companion: realgar (orange-red). Galena
The name galena comes from the ancient Greek word galene, which means “lead ore.” Compound. PbS(Pb 86,6%). Sometimes contains Ag. Physical properties:
a) Of the crystallographic forms, the most common is the cube; the faces of the octahedron and rhombic dodecahedron are less developed,
b) Forms granular, solid aggregates, found in drusen,
c) Color lead gray,
d) The line is grayish-black,
d) Metallic shine,
f) Perfect cleavage along the cube is characteristic,
g) The mineral is relatively soft, hardness 2,5,
h) Density – 7,5. Origin
1) Hydrothermal (medium and low temperature) found in veins, metasomatic bodies, and also in skarns. Characterized by a close association of galena with sphalerite and sulfides of silver and copper – these are the so-called polymetallic ores. It is also found together with pyrite, pyrrhotite and other sulfides, with barite, quartz and calcite.
2) Sedimentary – forms dissemination, mainly in bituminous carbonate rocks. In the oxidation zone, galena is unstable and easily destroyed with the formation of cerussite Pb[CO3], anglesite Pb[SO4], pyromorphite Pb5[PO4]3Cl and other minerals. Place of Birth
In the countries of the former USSR: skarn-Dalnegorskoe (Primorsky Territory), Kansai, Altyn-Topkan, Kurgashinkan (Central Asia); hydrothermal, vein and metasomatic – in the North Caucasus (Sadonskoye), in Altai volcanic-sedimentary (Leninogorskoye, Zyryanovskoye, Belousovskoye, etc.) deposits of the Nerchinsk group (Transbaikalia), Gorevskoye (Yenisei Ridge); low-temperature in carbonate strata – deposits of Central Kazakhstan and Karatau (Zhairem, Mirgalimsayskoye, Achisayskoye). Abroad: Sullivan deposits (Canada), Broken Hill, McArthur, Mount Isa (Australia), Tri-State area (Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma in the USA), as well as in Poland, Czechoslovakia (Kutna Hora), Mexico , Chile and other countries. Medicinal properties
Galena has no obvious medicinal properties. It is believed that its effect on the human body is similar to a tonic drink – it invigorates and makes it active and cheerful. Galena is usually recommended to be worn in earrings to prevent depression and melancholy. Magical properties
Galena strengthens the fortitude of its owner, helps to achieve goals, cope with life’s difficulties with dignity, and endure the misfortunes that befall him. It is believed that galena does not tolerate any bad habits and tries to instill in a person an aversion to them. Therefore, with its help you can easily get rid of smoking, alcohol abuse, sweet tooth, and recover from gluttony. Galena simply attracts fame, fame, and resounding success to its owner, but it strictly controls his thoughts and prevents the person from getting star fever. It should be remembered that galena is quite touchy: if the owner neglects to communicate with it, treating it as an ordinary decoration, galena may turn away from the person and also stop paying attention to him. To prevent this from happening, you need to meditate with the mineral at least twice a week, mentally sending it your admiration and respect. This is quite enough for the stone to capture the slightest desires of its owner and readily help fulfill them. Astrologers recommend wearing galena to all zodiac signs, especially Taurus. It is contraindicated only for Scorpios, whose arrogance and arrogance will be unpleasant to the stone, and it will not help them. Talismans and amulets
You can wear various jewelry with galena as a talisman. A ring with it makes a person more stubborn, more persistent, but at the same time helps him become more prudent and calmer. Beads made of galena or a pendant with it help the owner of galena to solve everything, even the most difficult problems, easily and cheerfully, as if playfully. If a person doubts his own abilities, but is making a difficult decision, he should wear earrings with galena (or apply crystals of this mineral to his ears). Galena helps people in humanitarian professions, but he especially loves artists. Applications. Galena is the most important ore for lead.
source inmoment.ru Barite
The name “barite” comes from the ancient Greek word bants, which means “heavy”. Indeed, due to its high density, the stone is quite heavy. Other names for the mineral and its varieties: heavy pshat, Bolognese stone. Baryte is barium sulfate. The color of the mineral is most often colorless, cloudy-transparent, and white. There are stones with brown, reddish, bluish tints. The shine is pearlescent, glassy. Genetic classification
Barite (heavy spar) – Ba[SO4] – rhombic system. Physical properties:
a) Tabular crystals; aggregates are granular, dense, leafy, often found in druses,
b) Colorless, sometimes water-transparent, often white, gray, often colored by impurities in red, bluish, brown and other colors,
c) The line is white,
d) Cleavage, perfect along (001), and less perfect in other directions,
e) Glassy luster, sometimes pearlescent,
e) Hardness 3-3,5,
g) Density 4,5.
Place of Birth
Main deposits: Mexico, Peru, USA, India, Algeria, Ireland. Origin
Hydrothermal – found in ore veins with galena, pyrite, cinnaval, often forming independent arite veins. Exogenous barite is formed in the iron hat zone due to reactions of soluble barium salts with sulfates of other metals. Place of Birth. In the Kutaisi region in Georgia, in Turkmenistan in the Kopetdag ridge, in the Urals; It is also incidentally mined at some polymetallic deposits in Altai. Applications. Barite is used in industry in its pure form and in the form of barium preparations. It is used when drilling wells as a weighting agent for clay solutions, in the paint and varnish industry, as a filler in the production of wallpaper, oilcloth, and linoleum. Barium salts are used to control agricultural pests and in medicine. Medicinal properties
Lithotherapists claim that barite can help a person cope not so much with the disease itself, but with the psychological trauma received as a result of the manifestation of the disease. Barite seems to calm its owner, instilling in him the belief that even the most serious illness can be cured – the main thing is not to lose hope. Magical properties
Barite is a real psychologist of its owner. He teaches him not to rush to conclusions, not to rush into starting any business without first considering all the possible positive and negative results of its implementation. Moreover, barite will always correctly tell a person where and how to start a planned enterprise. Barite helps to develop the advantages and eradicate the shortcomings of its owner, develop a person’s creative capabilities, inspires him, suggests new ideas, helps to implement them, attracts good luck and great fame to him. Astrologers advise fire signs (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius) to constantly wear barite. He will provide them with great help in the fight against the weaknesses inherent in these signs – laziness, cowardice, aggressiveness, and hot temper. In addition, barite is able to instill in them confidence in themselves and in the future. Barite is reluctant to help people with air signs (Libra, Aquarius, Gemini) and water signs (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces). They already have common sense, prudence, and practicality, so there is no wide field of action for barite. The stone is also reluctant to help Taurus and Virgo, but barite faithfully serves and assists Capricorn in all his endeavors. Talismans and amulets
Barite is a talisman for people whose activities do not give immediate results: scientists, businessmen, financiers. If you decide to use the help of barite, do not rush to wear products with this stone on yourself. It is best to carry the mineral in your right pocket, touching it periodically. And at the moment when you need to make a quick decision, you need to squeeze the barite in your fist or massage your temples and forehead with it.
source inmoment.ru sphalerite – mineral, zinc sulfide ZnS – zinc blende. The name sphalerite comes from the Greek word, which means “deceptive” or “treacherous.” Other names for the mineral: zinc blende, ruby ​​blende, cleiophane, marmatite. In most cases, it contains an iron impurity (up to 20%), the amount of which greatly affects its properties. Twins according to the spinel law are characteristic. Physical properties:
– Line from yellowish-white to brownish-brown,
– Luster from diamond to metallic,
– Transparency – depending on iron content, transparent to opaque in iron-rich specimens,
– Hardness – 3,5 – 4; fragile,
– Density 3,9 – 4,2 g/cm3,
– Cleavage perfect in six directions,
– Cubic system,
– The fracture is stepped, quite fragile. The color of pure zinc sulfide is white, but iron, almost always present in sphalerite, colors it yellow, grey-brown, red-brown or black. Miners call the red sphalerite ruby ​​blende, the pale yellow variety is called cleiophane, and the black (ferruginous) variety is marmatite. Sphalerite was one of the first substances whose structure was determined by X-ray diffraction. Therefore, one of the most common structural types of inorganic compounds of stoichiometric composition AB is called the sphalerite type (space group F-43m). Varieties
– Cleiophane – iron-free sphalerite, transparent crystals of light yellow, honey or greenish-yellow color,
– Marmatite is a black opaque variety rich in iron,
– Brunkite is an earthy cryptocrystalline sphalerite, pale yellow to whitish, forming films and deposits on sphalerite crystals or in cracks,
– Marasmolite is a semi-decomposed fissured ferruginous sphalerite. Place of Birth. Czech Republic, Kazakhstan. In Russia – the Urals, the North Caucasus, Eastern Transbaikalia, Primorye. Application. Metallic Zn is smelted from sphalerite. Along the way, Cd, In, Ga impurities are removed. A significant amount of sphalerite is used in the paint and varnish industry for the production of zinc white. Of great importance is the production of chemically pure ZnS from natural sphalerite, used as a phosphor. Phosphor sphalerite, activated by Ag, Cu, is used for the manufacture of picture tubes in televisions, screens in radar installations and oscilloscopes. Chemically pure sphalerite is used for the manufacture of various light compositions and luminous paints, in all kinds of signaling devices. Medicinal properties
It is believed that black sphalerites alleviate colds caused by hypothermia. There is an opinion that white and yellow minerals relieve nervous tension, improve sleep, and relieve insomnia and nightmares. Products made from yellowish sphalerites have a cleansing effect on the entire body and improve vision. Magical properties
There is an opinion that yellow sphaletyr stones protect against uncontrollable anger, give a person hope, and give peace. Black stones are sometimes used by dark magicians. However, this stone has the ability to return negative energy to the sender, strengthening it twice, so it is not recommended to use sphalerite to harm anyone. Practicing magicians use white minerals to make amulets that protect a person from evil spells. This stone is interesting because it can cause significant harm and protect against evil interference. Experts cannot say exactly which zodiac sign sphalerite is suitable for. Talismans and amulets
As a talisman, sphalerite helps its owner develop leadership qualities, gain self-confidence, and attract good luck. A small unprocessed piece of mineral of any color except black can serve as a talisman
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