| Clausthalite | |
| Category: | Selenide mineral |
| Formula: | PbSe |
| Imasymbol: | Cth[1] |
| Strunz: | 2.CD.10 |
| Dana: | 02.08.01.02 |
| System: | Isometric |
| Class: | Hexoctahedral (mm) H-M symbol: (4/m 2/m) |
| Symmetry: | Fmm |
| Color: | Bluish gray to lead-gray |
| Habit: | Massive to granular with euhedral crystals |
| Cleavage: | Perfect, Perfect, Perfect |
| Mohs: | 2.5 |
| Luster: | Metallic |
| Streak: | grayish black |
| Diaphaneity: | opaque |
| Gravity: | 7.6–8.8 |
| References: | [2] [3] [4] [5] |
Clausthalite is a lead selenide mineral, PbSe. It forms a solid solution series with galena PbS.
It occurs in low-sulfur hydrothermal deposits with other selenides and in mercury deposits. It is associated with tiemannite, klockmannite, berzelianite, umangite, gold, stibiopalladinite and uraninite.[3]
It was first described in 1832 and named for the discovery locality of Clausthal-Zellerfeld in the Harz Mountains, Germany.[5]