Litharge - Encyclopedia
Class : Oxides and hydroxides
Subclass : Oxides
Crystal system : Tetragonal
Chemistry : PbO
Rarity : Rare to uncommon
Litharge is a secondary mineral resulting from the alteration of primary minerals of lead, notably its dimorph, massicot, and galena. Litharge is also known as a coating on ancient slag. Its name comes from the Greek litharguros (silver stone), used by Dioscorides in 50 to designate the lead oxide obtained in metallurgy in the process of separating silver and lead. Litharge most often occurs in earthy coatings and encrustations with a dull to oily luster, red in color, in the superficial part of lead deposits. The crystals are tabular.
Main photo : Liroconite from Wheal Gorland, St Day, Cornwall, England, UK © Jeff Scovil
Lithargite in the World
Twinning
No twin known for this mineral species.
Fakes and treatments
No fakes recorded for this mineral species.
Hardness : 2
Density : 9.14
Fracture : Undetermined
Streak : Undetermined
TP : Translucent to transparent
RI : 2.535 to 2.665
Birefringence : 0.130
Optical character : Uniaxial -
Pleochroism : None
Fluorescence : None
Solubility : Nitric acid, hydrochloric acid
Magnetism : NoneRadioactivity : None