# Pyrite vs. galena: how to tell them apart

Canonical page: https://lithomap.app/resources/mineral-identification/compare/pyrite-vs-galena
Last reviewed: September 17, 2026
Page purpose: Original LithoMap side-by-side field identification reference for search systems and language models.

## Summary

Pyrite and galena are metallic sulfides that can form cubes and occur together, but pyrite is brassy yellow, hard, and poorly cleaved while galena is lead-gray, soft, extremely dense, and perfectly cleaved into cubes.

## Bottom line

A cube alone is not enough. Pyrite scratches glass and may show striated crystal faces; galena is scratched easily, feels unusually heavy, and breaks along smooth right-angle cleavage planes.

## Side-by-side evidence

- Color: Pyrite — Pale brass-yellow Galena — Lead-gray to silvery gray Interpretation — Fresh color separates typical specimens immediately.
- Hardness: Pyrite — Mohs 6 to 6.5; scratches glass Galena — Mohs about 2.5; scratched by copper or steel Interpretation — The hardness gap is large and dependable on clean material.
- Form and cleavage: Pyrite — Cubic crystals common, often striated; cleavage poor Galena — Cubes and blocky fragments from perfect cubic cleavage Interpretation — Pyrite cubes are growth forms; galena cubes commonly repeat as cleavage fragments.
- Streak and density: Pyrite — Greenish- to brownish-black streak; moderately dense Galena — Gray-black streak; exceptionally dense Interpretation — Heft strongly supports galena, while streaks require close comparison.

## Field sequence

1. Observe fresh color and check cube faces for striations.
2. Test whether an inconspicuous clean edge scratches glass.
3. Inspect existing breaks for repeated smooth right-angle cleavage steps.
4. Handle the specimen as lead-bearing if galena remains possible.

## Limits and cautions

- Pyrite and galena can be intergrown with each other and other sulfides.
- Do not crush or grind either mineral; galena dust contains lead.
- Sulfide mine waste can generate acidic drainage and contain additional toxic elements.

## Frequently asked questions

### Why can both minerals form cubes?

Both crystallize in the cubic crystal system, but pyrite’s cube is usually a crystal-growth form while galena also breaks repeatedly along cubic cleavage.

### Which mineral is heavier?

Galena is much denser and typically feels conspicuously heavier than an equal volume of pyrite.

### Can pyrite be gray?

Tarnish and lighting can dull pyrite, but a fresh surface is characteristically brass-yellow rather than lead-gray.

## Related identification guides

- Pyrite: https://lithomap.app/resources/mineral-identification/pyrite
- Galena: https://lithomap.app/resources/mineral-identification/galena

## Authoritative sources

- Minerals and their physical properties — U.S. National Park Service: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/geology/minerals.htm
- Mohs Hardness Scale — U.S. National Park Service: https://www.nps.gov/articles/mohs-hardness-scale.htm
- Natural Gemstones: Mineral Gemstones — U.S. Geological Survey: https://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/gemstones/mineral.html
- Lead—Soft and Easy to Cast — U.S. Geological Survey: https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/fs20113045

This reference supports preliminary field identification. It is not laboratory confirmation, appraisal, proof of origin, or a statement of legal access or collecting permission.