is it galena?

[mamabear]

new road, not opened yet. so I took advantage of no traffic & new rock exposure. I was hoping to find fossils but found this instead. I can't find my rock id book, & wasn't able to get a good id on line so what do you think? I am not to good with taking pix, hope it's good enough. in this area of MO, there are numerous lead mines. the rocks are VERY heavy! so I thought galena. maybe hematite? there is both gold (color) & silver.
Thanx!

 

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[firebird21]

You have galena and some iron pyrite.

 

[mamabear]

thanx Firebird. I am not able to get a good pic of the wavelite type structure forming it. I love the globular formation. It is in a small pocket of black clay with what looks like pyrite sand. I will have to go back after a rain & look some more. hope it stays closed for a while.

 

[Eu_citzen]

Scratchable with a knife? If so, Galena.

 

[mamabear]

Scratchable with a knife? If so, Galena.

yup it scratches. galena has a high lead content right? is there any danger handling it?

 

[Eu_citzen]

Scratchable with a knife? If so, Galena.

yup it scratches. galena has a high lead content right? is there any danger handling it?

Yes Galena is made up of lead and sulphur. No danger.

 

[mamabear]

thanx Eu_citzen . I was wondering why the black dirt I found it in smelled of sulphur. glad to know it's not dangerous, but I don't plan on eating it. I have some beautiful samples I bought from a defunct mine in Bixby MO, laced w/ druzy quartz, of course I'm hoping I'll find some like it. I'm just excited to find anything really. I found a rock with peacock ore in it in a creek just down the road from me. am hoping to find the source & see if there are bigger specs

 

[firebird21]

Post a couple of photos of the peacock ore. It could be chalcopyrite (copper-iron-sulfide). It also could be tarnished iron pyrite.

 

[Eu_citzen]

Post a couple of photos of the peacock ore. It could be chalcopyrite (copper-iron-sulfide). It also could be tarnished iron pyrite.

Peacock ore is chalcopyrite..
Tarnished iron pyrite does mostly not have the colourful surface of chalcopyrite.
Often I find Sulphide minerals do smell sulphur because its part of their chemical composition.

 

[mamabear]

the peacock ore is to small for my camera to take pix of. It is not tarnished though. I broke the rocks open & found them. I thought peacock ore contained copper,thanx Eu Cit. the rock I found it in is a green sandstone like matrix (only harder than sandstone) I should take it to the college & see what they have to say. thanx folks for the info. greatly appreciated.

 

[Eu_citzen]

Peacock ore does contain copper.
It does tarnish VERY fast when broken out of a rock, seen it myself when prospecting.
Most likely it is tarnished as it takes just a matter of minutes for it to tarnish..

My mistake, Peacock ore is Bornite!
(Cu5FeS4)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bornite

 

[mamabear]

thanx Eu-cit. that is a great site, & you were right it is Bornite. would love to find a big piece, but for now I am happy with the small ones.