Galena is lead sulfide, the main ore lead is smelted from. It contains lead: do not handle its dust, wash your hands after touching it, and keep it from mouths, children and pets. It is not for beads or jewelry, and we do not carry it.
Sulfide
Galena
Galena
- Palette
- Gray Black
- Mined in
- Germany, United Kingdom, Spain, Australia, United States, Peru
- Hardness
- Mohs 2.5–2.75 ?
- See-through
- opaque
- Known since
- Prehistoric
- Named for
- The Roman naturalist, Pliny, used the name galena to describe lead ore
- Also sold as
- lead glance, lead sulfide
- Intention
- Protection
- Looking for
- Grounding Protection
- Water
- Keep it dry; wipe with a soft cloth
- Dye or finish
- Galena is a lead mineral and is not made into wearable beads; no work is done to display pieces beyond polishing.
Not in our pieces now
25 CM CUBE
The largest documented galena crystal, from the Great Laxey Mine on the Isle of Man, measures 25 centimeters on every side and is displayed at London's Natural History Museum.
250 CRYSTALS
Radio pioneer Greenleaf Pickard tested thousands of minerals as radio detectors and found about 250 that could rectify a signal.
JAGADISH BOSE
Jagadish Chandra Bose patented a galena radio detector on September 30, 1901.
What it is
Galena is lead sulfide, a heavy, bright silver-gray metallic mineral that grows in sharp cubes and breaks into smaller cubes. It is the main ore lead is smelted from. It contains lead, so it is a display specimen and is not made into beads.
Where it comes from
Galena is mined worldwide; historic sources include Freiberg in Germany, Cornwall and Derbyshire in England, and the Linares mines in Spain, and Australia was the world's leading lead producer in 2021.
In history
Galena was ground into kohl, the dark eye paint of ancient Egypt, from about 3100 BC, and it was also the main ore of lead and silver for thousands of years. Spain's Linares mines were worked from before Roman times into the late 1900s, and galena crystals later served as the detector in early crystal radios.
What's said about it
In crystal lore, galena is a grounding, protective stone. It's linked to the root chakra, the planet Saturn and the sign Capricorn.
Ancient Egyptians ground galena into kohl, the dark eye makeup, and a tomb from about 1500 BC held some. Kohl made with lead is now considered unsafe.
People who keep it do so as a specimen in a closed box or case, handled rarely.
How people wear or keep it: In a closed display case, on a high shelf, or in a lidded box.
In crystal practice
In the crystal tradition, galena is paired with the root chakra, so practitioners rest it there during meditation or lie down with it in place for a few quiet minutes. Day to day, the same tradition suggests keeping it close: in a closed display case, on a high shelf, in a lidded box. People reach for it when they want grounding, protection, and many set an intention when they put it on. Most practitioners cleanse a new stone first (running water only if the stone can take it, otherwise smoke or moonlight) and set it aside now and then to rest.
These are beliefs people have held and still hold about the stone, reported as such. Nothing here is a promise or a medical claim. We sell stones as jewelry, not for these effects.
Associations
The chakra and star sign this stone is usually matched with. These are popular traditions, not facts about the stone.
ChakraRoot
ZodiacCapricorn
ElementEarth
Also calledlead glance, lead sulfide
Care
- It contains lead: wash your hands after handling it and keep it away from mouths, children and pets.
- Never cut, sand or grind it; the dust is not safe to breathe or swallow.
- It is soft and splits into cubes, so handle it gently and keep it in a closed box or case.
- Keep it dry and do not put it in water; wipe only with a dry cloth.
How to tell what you have
- Galena is lead sulfide: bright silver-gray with a metallic shine, very heavy (about 7.5 times water), soft (Mohs 2.5), and it breaks into cubes. It contains lead, so wash your hands after handling and keep it away from mouths, children and pets; never sand or grind it.
- Heavy silver-gray beads sold as galena may be hematite or coated glass; galena leaves a gray streak and splits in right-angle cubes.
Rules and sourcing
Galena is lead sulfide, so under US federal rules (CPSC) it cannot be used in children's jewelry unless it passes the 100 ppm lead limit, and it has no testing exemption. Our beads are for adults only; wash your hands after handling and keep it out of the mouth.
Questions people ask at our table
What is galena?
It is lead sulfide, a heavy silver-gray mineral and the main ore of lead. It grows as shiny cubes and has been mined since ancient times.
Is galena safe to handle?
A whole specimen is not much of a risk if you wash your hands after, but it contains lead. Do not breathe its dust, swallow it, or let children and pets mouth it.
Can galena be worn as a bead?
We would not. It is soft, breaks into cubes and contains lead, so it is a specimen to keep in a box, not a stone for jewelry.
What was galena used for in the past?
Ancient Egyptians ground it into kohl, an eye cosmetic, and it was later the source of much of the world's lead and some silver. Kohl made with lead is now considered unsafe.
Do you carry galena?
No, we do not carry it. Black onyx, silver obsidian and hematite are the dark, grounding stones in our pieces.
Not in our pieces right now
Stones we do carry that are close to it are listed under related stones.
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