LITHARGE

    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

Litharge is rarer than massicot or minium, the other two simple lead oxides. It is known in the gossan of several German mines in the Black Forest (Badenweiler, Saint Blasien), and in several American localities : Tintic (Utah), Cucamonga Peak and Fort Tejon (California), Hailey (Idaho). Good samples have been taken from the Swedish Langban mine. It is also found on the slag of Lavrion (Greece).

Lithargite in France

In France, litharge is known at Bluttenberg near Ste-Marie-aux-Mines (Haut-Rhin), at Belley (Ain), as well as in the slags of Crozet (Loire), Poullaouen (Finistère) and Vialas (Lozère).

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

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