Native lead is an extremely rare, soft, and heavy metallic mineral. It is often found as small grains or heavy plates in specialized geologic environments like metamorphosed manganese deposits or specific hydrothermal veins.
Is this native lead?
5-step field checkRun through these checks against the specimen in your hand. The more boxes tick, the more confident the ID.
- 1Test the hardnessTry to scratch native lead with a known reference. Native Lead sits at Mohs 1.5, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Streak: lead-gray.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: metallic.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: lead gray, gray white.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: cubic. Typical habit: blocky.
Often confused with
Native Lead vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Galena is the harder of the two (Mohs 2.5-2.75 vs. 1.5).
How to tell apart: Native Silver is the harder of the two (Mohs 2.5-3 vs. 1.5); streak differs, so Native Lead leaves lead-gray, Native Silver leaves silver-white.
Often found alongside native lead
Minerals reported to co-occur with native lead. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Pb
- Mohs hardness
- 1.5
- Density
- 11.37 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- Lead-gray
- Luster
- Metallic
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Crystal system
- Cubic
- Crystal habit
- Blocky
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector, Scientific specimen
- Host rock
- A rare mineral of hydrothermal origin, and found in placers; possibly also formed by authigenic processes and known to replace tree roots
Where rockhounds find native lead
Classic worldwide localities
- Parker shaft at Franklin, Sussex Co., New Jersey, USA
- Jay Gould mine, Wood River district, and near Hailey, Mineral Hill district, Blaine Co., Idaho, USA
- Tubac, Santa Cruz Co., where it replaced tree roots, Arizona, USA
- Shafter district, Presidio Co., Texas, USA
- El Dorado, Gran Sabana, Venezuela
- Keno Hill, Yukon Territory, Canada
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: A rare mineral of hydrothermal origin, and found in placers; possibly also formed by authigenic processes and known to replace tree roots. If you start seeing hydrocerussite, caryopilite, sarkinite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: blocky. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
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Find native lead on the map
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