- Stone type
- Natural galena with sphalerite
- Weight
- 2200g
- Size
- 180x130x60mm
- Color
- Silver-grey and dark brown
- Cut
- Rough
- Clarity
- Opaque
- Treatment
- Untreated
- Origin
- Bulgaria
- Hardness
- 2.5-4
Natural Big Galena and Sphalerite Cluster Crystal from Bulgaria 2.2kg
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Galena dominates this large piece. Its crystals cover the domed upper surface in a dense, uneven carpet, showing cubic and stepped faces in bright lead-grey with the mirror-like metallic luster galena is known for, some faces broad and clean, others broken into small terraces. Darker brown-black sphalerite fills in between and around them, and a rusty ochre stain runs through the lower left where iron has worked into the matrix. At 180mm long and 2.2kg it is a genuinely substantial piece of ore.
Galena is the principal lead ore and one of the densest common minerals, which is immediately obvious when you pick this one up. The Rhodope lead-zinc field in Bulgaria has produced galena and sphalerite together for decades, and specimens like this come straight from that ore. Untreated. Galena is soft at 2.5 on the Mohs scale and sphalerite 3.5 to 4, so this is a shelf piece where its size does the work.
Natural galena with sphalerite, Bulgaria, single piece.
We ship worldwide from Sofia, Bulgaria. Every order is packed in a protective box with bubble wrap. Orders within Bulgaria are dispatched within 1-2 business days and international orders within 2-3 business days. Free shipping is applied automatically at checkout, and the threshold applies to the order value after any discounts.
Delivery within Bulgaria
- Delivered by Speedy, Econt or Box Now, to a courier office, a locker or your address.
- Fixed prices: Box Now locker €1.60 (free on orders from €25), Speedy office €3.20, Econt office or locker €4.00, Speedy to your address €4.50.
- Free shipping on orders over €50, with any courier and at any weight.
- Cash on delivery is available.
- Delivery normally takes 1-2 business days after dispatch.
- Handle with careThis specimen contains galena, a lead sulfide. Handling it is fine, but wash your hands afterwards, never lick or chew it, keep it away from children and pets, and never grind or sand it.
- Hardness
- 2.5-4
- Cleavage
- Varies
- Durability
- Fair
- Soapy water
- Rinse only
- Ultrasonic
- Avoid
- Steam
- Avoid
About this specimen
This specimen combines several minerals that grew together, each with its own hardness and weak spots, so treat it as gently as its softest part.
Cleaning
Rinse it briefly in lukewarm water, loosen dirt with a soft brush and let it air-dry. Do not scrub the crystals. Skip ultrasonic and steam cleaners: they can loosen crystals and open cracks between the different minerals.
Wear and storage
Store it padded and apart from other specimens, so its edges and faces do not chip or scratch. Lift it by its base or matrix, not by the crystals. It is soft enough to be scratched by a fingernail, so handle it as little as possible.
Scale
True to scale: 180 × 130 × 60 mm
Shown next to a €1 coin (23.25 mm) in the exact ratio, so you can picture the real size. The outline is approximate.
