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3DGalena (Lead Sulfide)
The fascinating thing about this mineral is how much it looks and feels like plain lead, when it's actually a compound, lead sulfide, with a crystal structure identical to that of table salt. My dad has huge crystals of galena, and for years I thought they were crystallized lead metal, not a lead compound. Think about how different sodium metal and sodium chloride, table salt, are: Isn't it strange that this lead compound should look almost identical to lead metal, when chemically it's more like salt? Very strange.
Source: Ed Pegg Jr
Contributor: Ed Pegg Jr
Acquired: 22 January, 2003
Price: Donated
Size: 1"
Purity: <80%
Lead