galena - teaching student specimens of the primary ore of lead from the Aouli Mine, Middle Atlas Mountains, Morocco - Unit of 10 smaller specimens

Galena - PbS         

Galena is a very common metallic sulfide. It often occurs in cubic crystals and has good cubic cleavage. It is practically the only source of lead, which is used in huge amounts in storage batteries and in shielding from radioactivity. Its name is the Latin name for lead ore. 

Galena is easily identified by students by its density, metallic luster and its cubic cleavage. These specimens all have some attached matrix.

This galena comes from the old galena/fluorite mining district at Aouli, Morocco.  The complete locality description is Aouli, Mibladen, Aït Oufella Caïdat, Midelt Cercle, Midelt Province, Drâa-Tafilalet Region, Morocco. Whew! 

French companies operated mines in the Aouli vein-type lead-zinc deposit from 1923 to 1960, part of a larger lead ore mining area about 16 miles northeast of Midelt in the Middle Atlas Mountains. This area was actively mined until 1975, though local residents occasionally resume small  operations.

This is a mineral that is expensive to ship, and it is often offered at a price that makes classroom specimens uneconomical. The pencil is 5 1/2 inches long, for scale. 

These specimens are cleaved and matrix-free. Cleaved specimens like these are often only what students see. They might have to think a bit to properly identify specimens with attached quartz or wall rock from the vein. We carry galena with attached matrix if you want to challenge them after seeing this.

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