Galena: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 10:43, 7 March 2007

Revision as of 12:24, 7 March 2007

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[[Image:Fluorite_galena09.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Dark gray cubes of galena with fluorite (purple) and calcite (white) from Illinois, USA]]

One of the earliest uses of galena was as [[kohl]], which in [[Ancient Egypt]] was applied around the eyes to reduce the glare of the desert sun and to repel flies, a potential source of disease.{{cn}}

Galena was once used as a [[semiconductor]] (i.e. the crystal) in [[Crystal set|crystal radio sets]]; combined with a safety pin or similar sharp wire (known as a [[Cat's whisker diode|"cat's whisker"]]), the galena crystal became part of a point-contact [[diode]] used to detect radio signals. Like almost all minerals, it is also used in [[Charmstone|crystal therapy]].

==See also==