Rock and Mineral Identification Reference

How to Identify Galena: Hardness, Streak, Luster and Tests

Quick answer

Galena (mineral): 6 identifying properties, 1 home test, and how to tell it from Sphalerite / Hematite, quoted from geology department and survey sources.

Updated 2026-09-10 · Sources: University of Minnesota Common Minerals

Scratch, streak and acid tests mark the specimen, and some produce sharp fragments or dust. Wear eye protection, work in a ventilated space, keep acid off skin, and never taste a mineral you have not already identified.

How to Identify Galena: Hardness, Streak, Luster and Tests — Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source

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What are the key facts?

Type: Mineral
Mohs hardness: 2.5 (about as hard as a fingernail)
Streak: Lead gray
Luster: Metallic luster, opaque.
Color: Lead gray
Cleavage or fracture: Three directions of perfect cleavage, forming cubes; brittle.
Specific gravity: 7.4–7.6 (Heavy even for a metallic mineral)

What Galena looks like

The properties that identify Galena — mohs hardness: 2.5 (about as hard as a fingernail); streak: Lead gray; luster: Metallic luster, opaque; color: Lead gray; cleavage or fracture: Three directions of perfect cleavage, forming cubes; brittle; specific gravity: 7.4–7.6 (Heavy even for a metallic mineral). Hardness, streak and cleavage are the reliable ones; color alone rarely settles it.

Tests you can do at home

The combination of lead-gray color, very high specific gravity, and cubic cleavage identifies galena. Safety: Galena is a lead sulfide mineral and contains lead. Always wash your hands after handling it. Do not put it in your mouth or inhale dust from grinding it, do not let young children play with it for extended periods, and do not break it apart in an unventilated space.

Often confused with

[Hematite](/lookup/rocks-and-minerals/hematite): Streak differs: galena is lead gray, hematite is reddish brown, and sphalerite is white to cream.

Where it is found in North America

The Upper Mississippi River Valley lead-zinc mining district; in Minnesota it occurs only in the southeastern counties of Fillmore and Olmsted.

How to photograph it for identification

Photograph a fresh, unweathered surface in daylight, then a second shot of any crystal faces or broken edge. Include a coin for scale. If you did a streak test, photograph the streak next to the specimen. The app suggests the likely mineral or rock; confirm with hardness and the tests above before you label it.

FAQ

How hard is Galena on the Mohs scale?

2.5 (about as hard as a fingernail). A fingernail is about 2.5, a copper coin about 3, a steel knife 5.5 and glass about 5.5, so test against those.

What color streak does Galena leave?

Lead gray. Rub the specimen on an unglazed porcelain tile; the powder color is the streak, and it is more consistent than the specimen color.

How do I tell Galena from Sphalerite / Hematite?

Streak differs: galena is lead gray, hematite is reddish brown, and sphalerite is white to cream.

What is the simplest test for Galena?

The combination of lead-gray color, very high specific gravity, and cubic cleavage identifies galena.

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Sources

University of Minnesota Common Mineralscommonminerals.esci.umn.edu/minerals-g-m/galena

Compiled by the RockLens editorial team

Every fact on this page is taken from the sources listed above; numbers and prices are copied from the source, and prices name the guide or auction and its date. Research and drafting were assisted by AI, and each claim was then checked against the cited sources. Checked 2026-09-10. We do not buy, sell or grade items; the app identifies what you photograph and points you to these references.