Rosell Minerales

Fan-shaped aggregates of epidote crystals with an intense green color and luster. They are accompanied by hyaline quartz crystals and fine olive green actinolite needles. A different specimen from this classic Moroccan locality.

Size: 8,6 x 6,5 x 5,2 cm.
Main crystal: 2 cm.

Evansite specimens from Santa Creu d'Olorda are a classic of Catalan mineralogy. In this specimen we can see an amorphous mass of this aluminum phosphate with an intense green color and a vitreous luster. It is disposed on a graphite-bituminous shale matrix.

Size: 7.6 x 3.8 x 3.6 cm.

Classic locality

Classic specimen from this Zamora mine, rare to see today, formed by a layer of greenish-yellow segnitite crystals; under the magnifying glass we can see small crystals. It is accompanied by phillipsbornite and hinsdalite, of a more brownish to reddish tone. Good size specimen from this classic Spanish locality.

Size: 6.8 x 5.5 x 4 cm.
Found in 2000

Rich group of linarite crystals, very bright, with well visible facets and a spectacular color. They upholster a cavity in the quartz matrix. From this classic locality for the species.

Size: 6 x 4.3 x 3.5 cm.
Found in 1992

Classic locality

Group of hexagonal pr¡smatic crystals showing a good brilliance, characteristic color and very well defined faces and edges. From a classic Spanish mine.

Size: 12 x 7.8 x3.5 cm.
Main crystal: 1.1 cm.
Found in 1999.

These specimens show yellowish nodules included in a feldspar matrix. First SEM-EDS analysis have yielded a phosphate of Th and Ca, with minor Pb. XRD has shown patterns of "bravantite", the old name for cheralite and brockite. The chemical base formula for these species are: grayite (Th,Pb,Ca)(PO4)·H2O; cheralite CaTh(PO4)2; brockite (Ca,Th,Ce)(PO4)·H2O. REE has not been found in EDS.
We could say that this yellow nodules belongs from altered monazite, formed by mixed species cheralite-grayite, with minor brockite. Accompanied in matrix by meta-autunite. We will send the full report.

Size: 5.3 × 3.7 × 3 cm.

Analyzed specimen with report

Very good size crystal of benitoite, a rare barium and titanium silicate, rich in faces, highlighting those of the trigonal dypraramid, together with those of the hexagonal dypyramid and the pinacoidal faces. Intense color and translucent. It has a small dent in one edge, common in these specimens without affecting the aesthetics of the specimen. On matrix.

Size: 5 x 4.1 x 3.6 cm.
Main crystal: 1.6 cm.
Found in ca. 2003.

Col. Marí-García (Castelló) #0.520
Type Locality

Druse of very well defined cubic fluorite crystals, transparent to translucent, with luster and a slightly greenish blue color. They are accompanied by small crystals of calcite. From this classic Catalan mines. Acquired by Joan Astor from Joan Montplet, a well-known mineral dealer from Sant Celoni, close to the Montseny massif.

Size: 4.5 x 4 x 3.6 cm.
Main crystal: 1.3 cm.
Found in ca. 1979.

Col. Joan Astor (Barcelona).

Radial aggregates of reddish-brown sursassite, bright and on the quartz matrix. It is accompanied by orange-yellow aggregates of tinzenite crystals, together with fibrous masses of light yellow ganophyllite.

Size: 5 x 3 x 1 cm.
Found in ca. 1979.

Col. Joan Astor (Barcelona).
Type Locality

Very aesthetic aggregate of vanadinite crystals, labeled as arsenical. From this classic Moroccan town. From the Joan Astor collection, acquired at the 1979 EXPOMINER (Barcelona) mineral show.

Size: 5.5 x 3.8 x 3.3 cm.
Main crystal: 7 mm.
Found in ca. 1979.

Col. Joan Astor (Barcelona).
Classic locality

Many years ago, these crystal aggregates were classified as brushite, but later analysis indicated that it was hydroxylapatite with carbonate groups. Fluorapatite is not common in Bruguers. These globular aggregates are disposed on an upholstered matrix with bright green microcrystals of montgomeryite. The matrix is goethite. From the J. Astor collection, formerly col. Jordi Pi, well-known nature and geological landscape photographer and mineral collector (Barcelona).

Size: 4.2 x 4.1 x 2.9 cm.
Found in ca. 1980.

Col. Joan Astor & Col. Jordi Pi (Barcelona)

Group of rutile crystals with a highly visible cyclic twin. A brilliant piece with years... From the Joan Astor collection.

Size: 2.7 x 2.3 x 1.9 cm.
Found in ca. 1980.

Col. Joan Astor (Barcelona).

Aesthetic miniature of fluorite crystals of a greenish hue with geometric violet colour zoning. Partially covered by various aggregates of hyaline quartz crystals, peppered by small globular hematite that gives them a reddish hue. A piece from this classic Catalan mine, from the J. Astor and collection. by L. Daunis.

Size: 3.8 x 2.9 x 2.3 cm.
Found in ca. 1980.

Col. Joan Astor, Col. Daunis (Barcelona).
Fluorescent under long wave UV

A good sized floater crystal of grossular, with a delicate pink color, brilliant (not very common), with very well defined faces of the dodecahedron. This piece comes from the former J. Astor collection, acquired in 1974 from Bailey Minerals (Ángel Jesús Talabán García, Segovia 1942-Madrid 2007). With labels. A hard-to-find classic.

Size: 3.4 x 2.8 x 2.6 cm.
Found in ca. 1974.

Col. Joan Astor (Barcelona).

A rare specimen collected in an urban setting. Colorless to white radial aggregates of acicular artinite crystals on a serpentine matrix. Aesthetic, good size, excellent quality, very rich, from the classic Staten Island locality. Artinite is a rare hydrated magnesium carbonate. This piece comes from the J. Astor collection, acquired in 1980 from Bailey Minerals (Ángel Jesús Talabán García, Segovia 1942-Madrid 2007). With old labels. An USA classic nowadays not easy to find.

Size: 6.6 x 3.6 x 3.4 cm.
Main crystal: 1.5 cm. aggr.
Found in ca. 1980.

Col. Joan Astor (Barcelona).
Classic locality

Floating crystal of vesuvianite, defined faces, doubly terminated, with an intense olive color. It is labeled as coming from Lago Jaco, although it must be said that the garnets and vesuvianites attributed to Lago Jaco come from the Sierra de Cruces (incorrectly Sierra de la Cruz or Sierra de las Cruces), Sierra Mojada municipality, Coahuila, Mexico. Acquired by J. Astor from the Geology Museum of Barcelona in the early 70s, with labels.

Size: 2.8 x 2.1 x 1.6 cm.
Found in ca. 1973.

Col. Joan Astor (Barcelona).

Calcite gemmy crystal from this classic North American locality, very transparent, bright and with a delicate yellow color. It is disposed very aerially on a matrix with galena, sphalerite, dolomite and pyrite. It is also crystallographically very interesting because of the shapes of the elongated rhombohedron, with the faces of the scalenohedron. Acquired by J. Astor from J. Montal in the mid-1970s, with labels.

Size: 3.8 x 3.5 x 2.4 cm.
Main crystal: 2.1 cm.
Found in ca. 1976.

Col. Joan Astor (Barcelona).
Fluorescent under long wave UV

Group of hyaline quartz crystals, very transparent, brilliant, with complex shapes due to polycrystalline and window growths. With orange inclusions. Very aesthetic and interesting specimens from a new Malagasy locality.

Size: 4.8 x 4.2 x 2.2 cm.
Found in 2018.

Curious parallel growth of quartz crystals in scepter. A very aesthetic miniature of a new locality in Madagascar.

Size: 3 x 1.5 x 1 cm.
Found in 2018.

Group of hyaline quartz crystals, very brilliant, one of them more developed and showing the scepter growth stands out. With polycrystalline growths. An aesthetic novelty from Madagascar.

Size: 3.8 x 2.7 x 1.8 cm.
Main crystal: 2.7 cm.
Found in 2018.

Aesthetic quartz specimen, very transparent and with orange inclusions. It shows a very curious window growths and some facets of the rhombohedron. These specimens come from a little-known locality. Really interesting.

Size: 4.3 x 3 x 1.9 cm.
Found in 2018.

Group of doubly terminated quartz crystals, very transparent and with orange inclusions. With prisms and terminal faces with very evident polycrystalline and window growths. These specimens come from a new not well-known locality. Very aesthetic and pure brilliance.

Size: 5.7 x 5.2 x 2.6 cm
Main crystal: 5.7 cm.
Found in 2018.

Esthetic specimen of native copper, with dendritic and skeletal growths formed by "deformed" crystals but faceted, excellent luster and with an intense color. The specimen is protected from oxidation by a thin and invisible layer of varnish, which ensures its shine. Very aerial. The copper specimens from this locality are rare and few with this quality.

Size: 12.4 x 5.5 x 4.6 cm.
Found in 1998.

Col. Marí-García (Castelló) #0.359

Almost floating druse of quartz crystals forming pineapple growths, with a good luster and a slightly yellowish hue. On the backside, also crystallized, we can see the typical kaolinite layer of this deposit. It is accompanied by a limonite nodule that was probably pyrite.
These specimens were collected in this A Coruña quarry that exploits quartz, one of the main mines in the world due to the quality and quantity of its reserves. The mine was discovered in 1968 by three Galicians who gave their name (from their surnames SEñarís, RAma and BALboa) to the concession and who found it while exploring these mountains in the Pico Sacro area in search of "seixo" (from the Galician: hard white rock) of good quality.

Size: 12 x 9.8 x 5 cm.
Found in 2017.

Group of quartz crystals, with developed prisms and defined terminal faces, between transparent to translucent, and with reddish tones due to hematite. With interesting parallel growths. These specimens were collected in this A Coruña quarry that exploits quartz, one of the main mines in the world due to the quality and quantity of its reserves. The mine was discovered in 1968 by three Galicians who gave their name (from their surnames SEñarís, RAma and BALboa) to the concession and who found it while exploring these mountains in the Pico Sacro area in search of "seixo" (from the Galician: hard white rock) of good quality.

Size: 6.8 x 6.6 x 4 cm.
Main crystal: 7 cm.
Found in 2017.