Reticulated Cerussite Mineral Specimen

CERUSSITE

HISTORY, NAME, LOCALITIES: Cerussite, pronounced suh-RUSS-ite, has been known since antiquity and was recognized as a mineral species in 1850.  Its name stems from cerussa, the Latin word for ceruse, a white-lead pigment.  Cerussite is abundant and widely distributed.  Notable sources are in Germany, Spain, Italy, Morocco, Namibia, Australia, Bolivia, Mexico, and the United States (Arizona, Idaho, Colorado, California, New Mexico).

MINERALOGY, PROPERTIES, OCCURRENCE: Cerussite [lead carbonate, PbCO₃] crystallizes in the orthorhombic system as needles, plates, and spikes that are frequently twinned to form distinctive star-like and chevron-like shapes.  It is transparent to translucent and usually white or colorless, but impurities can impart yellowish or brownish hues.  Cerussite has a Mohs hardness of 3.0-3.5, good cleavage in one direction, an adamantine luster, a conchoidal fracture, and a very high specific gravity of 6.5-6.6.  It is a secondary mineral that forms from the oxidation of lead-rich, hydrothermal vein and replacement deposits.

METAPHYSICAL PROPERTIES, LORE, USES: Cerussite was once an important ore of lead and was used extensively the “white lead” pigment in paints and cosmetics.  In some localities it is still utilized as a minor ore of lead.  To modern metaphysical practitioners, cerussite is a stone of inspiration that instills the willingness to overcome difficulties, aids with our transformation into enlightened beings, and gives hope to those who feel overwhelmed by life.

COLLECTORS’ INFORMATION: Cerussite is collected for the rarity of its well developed, transparent crystals and for the distinctive shapes of its twinned forms.