Group of cubic fluorite crystals, between translucent and transparent, with a deep green color with delicate dichroism under sunlight. The crystals are interpenetrated and showing geometric color and inclusions zoning. Very fluorescent under LW-UV and SW-UV. New locality/area for fluorite from Madagascar.

Size: 6.8 x 6.8 x 5.6 cm.
Main crystal: 2.4 cm.
Found in 2018.

Fluorescent under LW-UV and SW-UV lights

As M. Calvo indicates in his work (Minas y mInerales de España), in the area of Bedures hill (or Vidures), in the municipality of Vegadeo, there are several mining works, some of them very ancient, in which various lead mineral species have been described and among them, pyromorphite stands out. This piece we propose, found by chance in a mineral show far from the mine that saw it born, shows a matrix of milky quartz, with iron oxides and, on it, a black layer of coronadite. We can observe also several crystals of green pyromorphite dot its surface. Some form divergent aggregates, others isolated, but with an intense green color, with zoning in some of them. They show hexagonal prisms truncated by pinacoidal faces and parallel growth aggregates. A high quality and very rare specimen for the locality.

Size: 12.0 x 9.7 x 6.6 cm.
Main crystal: 3 mm.

An unusual specimen of aragonite "flos ferri", found in 1996 at the Gloria mines, in Córdoba. Stalactitic recurved forms, brilliant and with a snowy white color to slightly green-bluish in the internal parts of the specimen. They are disposed on a matrix with colourless fluorite and traces of malachite. Not easy to see samples like this from this mine.

Size: 9.3 x 6.6 x 4.8 cm.
Found in 1996.

Classic locality

A classic old-time pyromorphite specimen, showing acute hexagonal prisms of beige colour to colorless, brilliant and satin-wet look, forming aesthetic rosettes on the quartz matrix. This specimen is from the famous Rosenberg mine, in Bad Ems, Germany, closed since 1963. It is accompanied by a typed label by Juan Montal, a well-known Catalan mineral dealer from Vilafranca del Penedés (Barcelona), who was active in the middle of the s. XX until the 1980s. The piece is very good for the locality and the label full of history. An European classic.

Size: 7.4 x 3.6 x 3.4 cm.
Main crystal: 3 mm.

Excol. Lluís Daunis & Maria Ruscalleda (Barcelona). Ex. Juan Montal (Vilafranca del Penedés).
Classic locality

Many specimens of aragonite are seen, as "pinecone" shape, also isolated, but this specimen has an "I don't know what" that makes it different for me. An elliptical "pinecone" of prismatic, divergent aragonite crystals, which are grouped around a central axis, with more developed crystals. Different and very aesthetic. A classic from Spanish mineralogy.

Size: 8.4 x 5.0 x 4.8 cm.
Found in 2012.

Fluorescent under long wave UV

Excellent, sculptural, two-sided baryte "rose" from Oklahoma. Oxidized sand grains are included in the baryte crystal structure with colorful effect. Essentially a floater. The hole adds much aesthetics. Baryte was precipitated in interconnected voids in the rock, probably from barium-rich marine waters that covered the Permian Garber Sandstone during or shortly after its deposition about 250 million years ago. The rose-like concretions incorporated the iron-stained quartz sand grains and thus acquired the red color of the host Garber Sandstone (online). These are the official Oklahoma State Rock.
Very interesting article in Mineralogical Record July-August 2008.

Size: 5.8 x 5.5 x 3.2 cm.

Col. Arguijo (Barcelona).

Hydromagnesite specimens from "Pedreres de l'Àngel" (Angel quarries), in Gualba (Barcelona), are a classic for the Catalan mineralogy. In this specimen we can observe some aggregates formed by radiated crystals, some of them of good size (more than 2 cm.), others smaller (up to 8 mm), very brilliant. Nowadays impossible to be found... This mines are a skarn due to contact metamorphism of Hercynian granodiorite and biotite granite into Cambrian marbles.

Size: 9.4 x 6.5 x 3.5 cm.
Found in 1980's.

Col. Arguijo (Barcelona).
Fluorescent under long wave UV

Fine aggregates of bright and translucent gillespita, strawberry red. In a matrix of white sanbornita that contrasts with the color. Gillespita is a rare barium and iron phyllosilicate. This is a very rich, colorful and excellent piece for the species.

Size: 5.4 x 4.5 x 2.5 cm.
Found in ±1990.

Col. R. Vochten.
Fluorescent under short wave UV

A very aesthetic azurite specimen formed by several elongated prismatic crystals, forming a kind of sheaf. They are partially pseudomorphized by malachite. The blue color of the azurite is exceptional, with very good brilliance. A nice miniature from a classic Moroccan locality.

Size: 3.9 x 1.9 x 1.6 cm.
Found in ±1990.

Classic locality

A specimen of this classic Catalan locality, with several interpenetrated cubic crystals of yellow fluorite, translucent and very defined. They are accompanied by calcite crystals and tiny chalcopyrite crystals. They are partially covered by a thin layer of illite, which we have preferred to leave to preserve the original aesthetic of the specimen. On a quartz matrix with feldspar.

Size: 6.2 x 3.8 x 3.8 cm.
Main crystal: 9 x 8 mm.
Found in 10/1986.

#109 Col. Manchion (Barcelona).

A very notable specimen for the size of the pyrolusite sharp crystals, which form brilliant aggregates. In some areas they are partially covered by small botryoidal aggregates of goethite, black and very bright. A place under the magnifying glass.

Size: 5.4 x 3.5 x 2.4 cm.
Found in ±01/1986.

#221, EK, Col. Manchion (Barcelona).
Classic locality

Aggregates of prismatic crystals of meionite, with cross-linked and parallel growths. It is arranged in a matrix with octahedral magnetite crystals, green epidote and actinolite fibers. Joan Viñals indicated on the label of this specimen (we will send to the buyer) meionite, although specimens such as marialite are described in the area. The marialite-meionite series refers to the proportion of Na and Ca, both of the escapolite group. "Probably from the La Herrería mine where it usually appears in magnetite vugs as acicular and radial aggregates of tetragonal prisms, sometimes centimetric, whitish to transparent" (Mti-Blog).

Size: 6.6 x 3.8 x 3.8 cm.
Main crystal: 1.8 cm.
Found in ±1991.

#544 Col. Manchion (Barcelona).
Classic locality

Se trata de excelente cristal de cuarzo que presenta crecimientos en "ventana" (también llamados "esqueletales") muy marcados en las deformadas caras romboédricas. Prisma muy poco desarrollado. Muy buena transparencia, tono ligeramente ahumado, y un brillo más que excepcional. Se observan inclusiones de tono beige muy habituales en este tipo de crecimientos. Estos ejemplares fueron recogidos cerca del embalse de Urrúnaga, en Legutio.

Size: 3.3 x 3.2 x 2.8 cm.
Found in 01/1986.

#223 Col. Manchion (Barcelona).
Classic locality

Aesthetic group of tabular crystals of baryte, with a delicate bluish color, brilliant and transparent. With a good size, they stand out on a matrix of goethite. A extinc classic.

 

 

Size: 10.5 x 7.0 x 6.2 cm.
Main crystal: 4.5 x 3.8 cm. aggr.
Found in 2017.

Group of chalcopyrite crystals, one of good size, with defined shapes arranged on quartz hyaline crystals. An aesthetic miniature.

Size: 5.2 x 3.5 x 2.5 cm.
Main crystal: 1.6 cm.
Found in ±1987.

#360 Col. Manchion (Barcelona).

These specimens of banded flint were collected decades ago in the area of El Brull, in the Montseny massif, and identified as agate. They appear in nodules and veins, embedded in a siliceous limestone, presenting bands of gray tones, between light to dark gray. These kind of striped flind are well know in jewelery, and very appreciated. It is a unique curiosity of the Catalan mineralogy of many years ago.

Size: 7.0 x 6.0 x 5.9 cm.
Found in 1960's.

For uranium mineral collectors, this carnotite of an intense yellow color, formed by numerous globular aggregates of crystals, covering the surface of the sandstone matrix. An American classic, labeled E. Kucera (Barcelona).

 

 

Size: 5.7 x 2.7 x 1.3 cm.

Col. Manchion (Barcelona).
Presents radioactive activity.

A classic specimen of spinel, bright, defined and well arranged in the matrix. It is not easy to find them in matrix. This well-known extinct small Quebec mica mine is famous for excellent spinel and forsterite crystals.

Size: 4.6 x 3.7 x 2.6 cm.
Main crystal: 1.2 cm.

Col. Manchion (Barcelona). Ex. E. Kucera.

Group of very good size libethenite crystals, with a deep green color, bright and well disposed on the quartz matrix. Samples of libethenite from the Estremoz area are not often seen. They could belong from Miguel Vacas, but the label of Manuel L. Adónis clearly indicates Estremoz, where similar specimens have been found.

Size: 4.3 x 4 x 2 cm.
Main crystal: 6 mm arista/edge.

Col. Manchion (Barcelona). Col. Manuel L. Adónis.

Aesthetic and gemmy anglesite specimen that shows a group of crystals with a razor-sharp chisel terminations, striated faces, characteristic for the species, very sharp and with good transparence and uniform yellow color.

This specimen date to the late 1970s and were found in the well known Moroccan mining area of Touissit. They are considered the world's finest anglesite specimens. Here we offer this "old" specimen from glorious past times.

 

Size: 4 x 3.4 x 3 cm.
Main crystal: 3.0 x 1.3 cm.
Found in ±1989.

#432, JV, Col. Manchion (Barcelona).
Classic locality

Smoky quartz crystal, good size, with defined faces and edges. It presents small nicks without affecting its aesthetics. Smoked tone, very uniform and with transparence. It comes from the formed collection Manchion (Barcelona) and in the attached information indicates that it was collected in the Montseny massif, which makes it interesting since there are not many specimens in collections from this mountains. With minor feldspar matrix.

Size: 5.7 x 2.2 x 1.8 cm.
Found in 07/1985.

#175 Col. Manchion (Barcelona).

Very sharp hexagonal fluorapatite crystal, with visible colour zoning, more intense in the core area and clearer in edges. Bright and defined, with another doubly terminated smaller crystal on one of the pinacoidal faces. It is accompanied by muscovite.

Size: 4 x 3 x 2.7 cm.
Main crystal: 3.8 x 1.7 cm.
Found in 1989.

Col. Manchion (Barcelona).

Group of tarnowizite crystals, well defined, some of them interpenetrated. Milky tone and translucent. On a rocky matrix. From this classic locality and from the former Manchion (Barcelona) collection.

 

 

Size: 4 x 3.8 x 3.7 cm.
Main crystal: 2 cm.
Found in ±1987

#365 Col. Manchion (Barcelona).
Fluorescent under long wave UV

Very sharp single zunyite crystal with good luster, coloured by red hematite inclusions and with some small brilliant foliaceous hematite partially included in faces. Tetrahedron form, truncated by cubic faces. Tetrahedron edge is 16 mm. A good sized and perfect crystallographic specimen of this unusual species, a rare sorosilicate of aluminium and chlorine, with fluorine. Analized by X-ray difracction and X-ray fluorescence.

Size: 1.6 x 1.6 x 1.5 cm.
Found in 2018.

Analyzed specimen with report

Very sharp single zunyite crystal with good luster, coloured by red hematite inclusions and with some small brilliant foliaceous hematite partially included in faces. Tetrahedron form, truncated by cubic faces. Tetrahedron edge is 14 mm. A good sized and perfect crystallographic specimen of this unusual species, a rare sorosilicate of aluminum and chlorine, with fluorine. Analized by X-ray difraction and X-ray fluorescence.

Size: 1.4 x 1.4 x 1.3 cm.
Found in 2018.

Analyzed specimen with report