RocksdayGalena vs Native Silver
How to tell them apart
Lead sulfide and the world's main lead ore. Bright silvery cubes that feel astonishingly heavy for their size.
Photo: Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 4.0
Silver as a pure metal, often in wiry, branching forms that tarnish black.
Photo: Alchemist-hp (talk) (www.pse-mendelejew.de), CC BY-SA 3.0 de
Quick tests
- Streak (rub on unglazed porcelain): Galena leaves a lead gray streak; Native Silver leaves silver-white.
- Heft: Native Silver feels noticeably heavier for its size (specific gravity 10.1–11.1 vs 7.4–7.6).
Key differences
- Galena is brittle and breaks into cubes.
Side by side
| Property | Galena | Native Silver |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Mineral | Mineral |
| Mohs hardness | 2.5–2.75 | 2.5–3 |
| Luster | Metallic | Metallic |
| Streak | Lead gray | Silver-white |
| Colors | Silver, Gray | Silver, Black |
| Crystal system | Cubic | Cubic |
| Specific gravity | 7.4–7.6 | 10.1–11.1 |
| Formula | PbS | Ag |
| Found in | Viburnum Trend, Missouri; Tri-State district, USA | Kongsberg, Norway; Keweenaw Peninsula, Michigan |
Properties that are the same for both are grayed out.
How to identify galena
- Very heavy — noticeably heavier than any similar-sized rock.
- Bright silver-gray metallic, dulling over time.
- Breaks into perfect little cubes.
- Soft enough to scratch with a fingernail edge or coin.
Crystal system: Cubic
Full Galena guide →How to identify native silver
- Silvery metal, tarnished gray to black.
- Wires, branches or flakes.
- Bends and is very heavy.
Crystal system: Cubic
Full Native Silver guide →More comparisons
Could you tell them apart from a blurry close-up?
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