Rosell Minerales

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

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.

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

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)

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

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.

Group of quartz crystals, with developed prisms and defined terminal faces, between transparent to translucent. With interesting parallel growths. They are disposed very aerially on the matrix partially dotted with kaolinite.
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: 9.3 x 8 x 6.5 cm.
Main crystal: 4.8 cm.
Found in 2017.

Rich group of quartz crystals, with developed prisms and defined terminal faces, between transparent to translucent. With interesting parallel growths. They are disposed very aerially on the matrix partially dotted with kaolinite.
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 7.8 x 5.5 cm.
Main crystal: 4 cm.
Found in 2017.

Group of quartz crystals, with developed prisms and defined terminal faces, between transparent to translucent. They are disposed very aerially on the matrix partially dotted with kaolinite.
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: 7.5 x 6.2 x 6 cm.
Main crystal: 3.8 cm.
Found in 2017.

Rich group of quartz crystals, with developed prisms and defined terminal faces, between transparent to translucent. They are disposed very aerially on the matrix partially dotted with kaolinite.
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: 11.2 x 8 x 5.4 cm.
Main crystal: 4 cm.
Found in 2017

Variscite is a hydrated aluminum phosphate present in different Catalan deposits found in the Catalan Coastal Mountain Ranges. Well-known sites are those of the Serra de Miramar, in Tarragona; Bruguers, Gavà and Cerdanyola in Barcelona, along with the well-known site of Montcada i Reixac, close to the city of Barcelona. Less well known are the deposits in the northernmost area of these mountain ranges, between Malgrat de Mar and Pineda de Mar area. This specimen comes from the Malgrat area and was found in surveys near Can Palomeres. The variscite vein shows a green color with yellow to whitish tones. It is included in slates with other phosphates such as phosphosiderite and strengite. We can observe so-called ptygmatic folds produced by the entry of a viscous fluid (variscite) into a less viscous one.

Size: 10 x 7.2 x 6.2 cm.
Main crystal: 1.1 cm. vein/veta
Found in 2018.

Really good sized hydrozincite specimen from this classic Spanish mine, with botryoidal forms and beige tone. The specimens with these sizes are difficult to see today. This one comes from the A. Arguijo collection. The Hermosa or Sel del Haya mine was a lead and zinc exploitation whose activity was carried out mainly between 1855 and 1932, although in the decade from 1950 to 1960 some important works were carried out. Settled on dolomitic limestone from the Aptian, the main mineralization comprises lead and zinc, the latter being the most important, both in the form of carbonates and sulphides [link].

Size: 15 x 13 x 11 cm.
Found in ca. 1980.

Col. A. Arguijo (L'Hospitalet de Llobregat).
Classic locality

This Spanish aragonite specimen shows two twinned and interpenetrated crystals. They have a really good brilliance and tones those varies from whitish to brown, translucent. Twinned cyclically on {110} and showing a hexagonal prismatic habit. It comes from the Arguijo collection.

Size: 3.6 x 2.8 x 2.3 cm.
Main crystal: 2.9 & 2.2 cm.
Found in ca. 1980.

Col. A. Arguijo (L'Hospitalet de Llobregat).

This Spanish aragonite specimen shows several twinned and interpenetrated crystals, one of them with a big size. They have a really good brilliance and tones those varies from whitish to brown, translucent. Twinned cyclically on {110} and showing a hexagonal prismatic habit. It comes from the Arguijo collection.

Size: 5.2 x 4.8 x 4.6 cm.
Found in ca. 1980.

Col. A. Arguijo (L'Hospitalet de Llobregat).

This Spanish aragonite specimen shows several twinned and interpenetrated crystals, one of them with a big size. They have a really good brilliance and tones those varies from whitish to violet, translucent. Twinned cyclically on {110} and showing a hexagonal prismatic habit. It comes from the Arguijo collection.

Size: 5.1 x 4.8 x 4.2 cm.
Found in ca. 1980.

Col. A. Arguijo (L'Hospitalet de Llobregat).

Siderite rhombohedral crystals, flattened, bright and defined. They have a honeyed to golden colour, with a second generation of smaller crystals. They are disposed on a matrix. Siderite specimens from this Catalan mine are uncommon.

Size: 7.4 x 6.8 x 4.6 cm.
Main crystal: 0.9 cm.

Col. J. Povill (Olesa de Montserrat).

Nowadays, graphite specimens from this classic Asturian locality are very difficult to be found. These specimens show contiguous columns, with greasy luster and defined hexagonal forms. The crystal habit of natural graphite in most cases is determined by its highly anisotropic, layered structure. However, anomalous habits of graphite,determined not only by its structure, but also by the peculiarities of the growth environment, are frequently encountered, and optimization of the space available when solidifying forming columns.

Size: 4.8 x 4.7 x 4.1 cm.
Found in ±1985.

Specimen of calcite with very aesthetic stalactitic forms. It comes from a locality not well represented in collections.

Size: 6.6 x 6 x 5.6 cm.
Found in ca. 1980.

Col. A. Arguijo (L'Hospitalet de Llobregat).

Very aesthetic specimen of goethite, with stalactitic growths, brightness and zoned iridescences of reddish, greenish, pink, yellow reflections... A very aesthetic piece of this classic locality. From the J. Astor collection (Barcelona).

Size: 5.3 x 3.3 x 2.2 cm.
Found in ca. 1988.

Col. J. Astor (Barcelona).

Rich aggregate of tabular baryte crystals, brilliant, defined and between translucent to transparent on the edges. From a classic locality for the Spanish mineralogy.

Size: 6.2 x 4 x 3 cm.
Main crystal: 1 cm.
Found in ca. 1996.

Col. J. Astor (Barcelona).

Really fine specimen for this rare species. The balangeroite is a magnesium, iron anfd manganese silicate, only found in a few places worldwide. The serpentine Poggio San Vittore quarry, which were the best samples has been found and it is the type locality for the species, is abandoned since 1990. The mineral usually appears included in the serpentine matrix and only few fibers are aerial. In this specimen, fibers are totally aerial and with a good length.

Size: 4.2 x 4 x 3.4 cm.
Main crystal: 3.2 cm.
Found in ca. 1985.

Col. J. Astor (Barcelona).
Type Locality

Sphalerite gemmy quality crystals, transparent, shiny and some sprinkled with pyrite. A real gem of this Gipuzkoan mine, nowadays flooded.

Size: 4 x 3.2 x 1.4 cm.
Found in ca. 1991.

Col. J. Astor (Barcelona).