Long,
slender crystals of cerussite known as "jackstraw", from the Flux Mine
near Patagonia, Arizona.
This pair of pictures is of the same specimen, but at different angles.
The left photo shows the tabular nature of the crystals and the right photo
(shot at 90o to the first) shows how these tabular crystals produce
the reticulate twin pattern.
CHEMISTRY PbCO3 Lead carbonate
CRYSTALLOGRAPHY Orthorhombic
CRYSTAL GROWTH AND HABITS Crystals are often tabular and frequently twinned and may form reticulated growths with plates intersecting at 60o angles. Cerussite may also be massive, granular, fibrous or earthy.
COLOR AND OTHER OPTICAL PROPERTIES Cerussite is usually colorless, white, light yellow to gray, and is transparent to translucent.
HARDNESS 3 - 3.5
SPECIFIC GRAVITY 6.5 - 6.6
LUSTER Adamantine to dull
STREAK White
BREAKABILITY Cerussite has two directions of cleavage and is brittle.
OCCURRENCE Cerussite is a secondary mineral produced by the alteration of lead ores like Galena. It is produced by the action of carbonated waters on lead minerals.
ASSOCIATED MINERALS Galena, Sphalerite, Anglesite, Pyromorphite, Smithsonite, Linarite