Massive granular, reticulate, tabular to equant crystals
Twinning
Simple or cyclic contact twins
Cleavage
Good [110] and [021]
Fracture
Brittle conchoidal
Mohs scale hardness
3 to 3.5
Luster
Adamantine, vitreous, resinous
Streak
White
Diaphaneity
Transparent to translucent
Specific gravity
6.53–6.57
Optical properties
Biaxial (−)
Refractive index
nα = 1.803, nβ = 2.074, nγ = 2.076
Birefringence
δ = 0.273
Other characteristics
May fluoresce yellow under LW UV
References
[2][3][4]
Cerussite (also known as lead carbonate or white lead ore) is a mineral consisting of lead carbonate (PbCO3), and is an important ore of lead. The name is from the Latin cerussa, white lead. Cerussa nativa was mentioned by Conrad Gessner in 1565, and in 1832 F. S. Beudant applied the name céruse to the mineral, whilst the present form, cerussite, is due to W. Haidinger (1845). Miners' names in early use were lead-spar and white-lead-ore.[5]
Cerussite crystallizes in the orthorhombic crystal system and is isomorphous with aragonite. Like aragonite it is very frequently twinned, the compound crystals being pseudo-hexagonal in form. Three crystals are usually twinned together on two faces of the prism, producing six-rayed stellate groups with the individual crystals intercrossing at angles of nearly 60°. Crystals are of frequent occurrence and they usually have very bright and smooth faces. The mineral also occurs in compact granular masses, and sometimes in fibrous forms. The mineral is usually colorless or white, sometimes grey or greenish in tint and varies from transparent to translucent with an adamantine lustre. It is very brittle, and has a conchoidal fracture. It has a Mohs hardness of 3 to 3.75 and a specific gravity of 6.5. A variety containing 7% of zinc carbonate, replacing lead carbonate, is known as iglesiasite, from Iglesias in Sardinia, where it is found.[5]
The mineral may be readily recognized by its characteristic twinning, in conjunction with the adamantine lustre and high specific gravity. It dissolves with effervescence in dilute nitric acid. A blowpipe test will cause it to fuse very readily, and gives indications for lead.[5]
Finely crystallized specimens have been obtained from the Friedrichssegen mine in Lahnstein in Rhineland-Palatinate, Johanngeorgenstadt in Saxony, Stříbro in the Czech Republic, Phoenixville in Pennsylvania, Broken Hill in New South Wales, and several other localities. Delicate acicular crystals of considerable length were found long ago in the Pentire Glaze mine near St Minver in Cornwall.[5] Cerussite is often found in considerable quantities, and has a lead content of up to 77.5%.[6]
Lead(II) carbonate is practically insoluble in neutral water (solubility product [Pb2+][CO32−] ≈ 1.5×10−13 at 25 °C), but will dissolve in dilute acids.
Cerussite (also known as lead carbonate or white lead ore) is a mineral consisting of lead carbonate (PbCO3), and is an important ore of lead. The name...
cerussite gem, weighing 898 carats (179.6 g). It is currently part of the collection of the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) in Toronto. The raw cerussite was...
incrustations. It occurs associated with smithsonite, hemimorphite, willemite, cerussite, aurichalcite, calcite and limonite. It was first described in 1853 for...
Chlorargyrite is water-insoluble. It occurs associated with native silver, cerussite, iodargyrite, atacamite, malachite, jarosite and various iron–manganese...
practical uses, despite its toxicity. It occurs naturally as the mineral cerussite. Like all metal carbonates, lead(II) carbonate adopts a dense, highly...
secondary mineral in oxidized hydrothermal lead deposits. It occurs with cerussite, anglesite, smithsonite, hemimorphite, vanadinite, pyromorphite, mimetite...
compounds, generally in the form of sulfides such as galena (lead sulfide) or cerussite (lead carbonate). So the primary production of silver requires the smelting...
hydrothermal veins in association with sphalerite, marcasite, chalcopyrite, cerussite, anglesite, dolomite, calcite, quartz, barite, and fluorite. It is also...
commonly occurs in association with hemimorphite, willemite, hydrozincite, cerussite, malachite, azurite, aurichalcite and anglesite. It forms two limited...
mineral, in which context it is known as hydrocerussite, a hydrate of cerussite. It was formerly used as an ingredient for lead paint and a cosmetic called...
Chatal/Çatal Hüyük in central Anatolia, though they might be made of galena, cerussite, or metallic lead, and accordingly might or might not be evidence of early...
occurs in the upper lead deposits through the oxidation of galena or cerussite. The main deposits are Příbram in Bohemia and Dry Gill, Caldbeck Fells...
from galena; anglesite, PbSO4, is a product of galena oxidation; and cerussite or white lead ore, PbCO3, is a decomposition product of galena. Arsenic...
These items are mainly quartz crystals, but also other minerals such as cerussite, iron pyrite, calcite and galena. A few findings feature modifications...
in association with brochantite, anglesite, caledonite, leadhillite, cerussite, malachite and hemimorphite. A shallow pocket of crystals of an intense...
lead carbonate of chemical formula 2 PbCO 3·Pb(OH) 2 while the mineral cerussite is a simple carbonate of lead (PbCO 3). A recipe from 1688 described the...
around the world." Iconic objects include: the world's largest faceted cerussite gem, Light of the Desert; four large totem poles, Nisga'a and Haida; and...
overgrows crocoite. It may also be overgrown by yellow cerussite. It may be associated with cerussite, plattnerite, azurite, malachite, pyromorphite, mimetite...
Lake meteorite. The Light of the Desert, the world's largest faceted cerussite, is another notable piece displayed in the gallery. Galleries that are...
Galena (PbS) in veins with other sulphide materials and in pegmatites; cerussite (PbCO3) in oxidized lead zones along with galena Lithium Li Metal production...
These deposits are usually represented by iron hydroxides containing cerussite PbCO3, anglesite PbSO4, smithsonite ZnCO3, calamine Zn4[Si2O7] [OH]2×H2O...
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