Rosell Minerales

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

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).

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).

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).

Radiating crystals of gedrite, almost black, included in a metamorphic rock matrix.

Size: 4.7 x 4.1 x 3 cm.
Main crystal: 1.2 cm.

Sample with native bismuth and yellowish bismutite. From a classic Spanish locality.

Size: 3.5 x 2.8 x 2.2 cm.
Found in ca. 1973

Col. J. Astor (Barcelona).

Stalactitic limonite and goethite specimens from Benalmádena (Málaga) have a remarkable aesthetic due to their orange colors, with dark tones... This specimen shows very marked stalactitic growths. From the Astor collection (Barcelona).

Size: 7.7 x 5.4 x 3.7 cm.
Found in ca. 1983.

Col. J. Astor (Barcelona).
Classic locality

A very rich group of sharp metatorbernite crystals showing tetragonal forms, an intense green color and good luster. It shows polysynthetic and echeloned growths. In some crystals we can observe a yellowish tones in the core which corresponds to metaautunite (fluorescent under UV light). A French mineralogy classic not seen since late 70's.

The walls of the fissures of this mine were covered by smoky quartz crystals. When samples are mined and pull out of the mine, a partially dehydratation occurs (from 12 to 8 H2O molecules) and torbernite become metatorbernite species. Margabal specimens can be classified as metatorbernite.

Size: 4 x 3.4 x 1.7 cm.

Col. J. Astor (Barcelona), ex. J. Viñals.
Presents radioactive activity.

Group of very sharp metatorbernite crystals with an intense green grass color, showing the combination of the first and the second order dipyramids, truncated by pinacoidal faces. Its intense color gives a nice contrast with the white quartz matrix. Large open cast mines ans small prospects of kaolinite with some quartz veins in which torbernite crystals have been found. We could say that this locality is included in the most worldwide important torbernite localities due to the crystal quality, size and multiple habits.

Size: 5.9 x 4.5 x 2.2 cm.

Presents radioactive activity.

Group of very sharp metatorbernite crystals, one of them predominant, with an intense green grass color, showing the combination of the first and the second order dipyramids, truncated by pinacoidal faces. Its intense color gives a nice contrast with the white quartz matrix. Large open cast mines ans small prospects of kaolinite with some quartz veins in which torbernite crystals have been found. We could say that this locality is included in the most worldwide important torbernite localities due to the crystal quality, size and multiple habits.

Size: 6.7 x 3.9 x 2.3 cm.
Main crystal: 5 mm.

Presents radioactive activity.

Group of very sharp metatorbernite crystals, with an intense green grass color, showing the combination of the first and the second order dipyramids, truncated by pinacoidal faces. Its intense color gives a nice contrast with the white quartz matrix. Large open cast mines ans small prospects of kaolinite with some quartz veins in which torbernite crystals have been found. We could say that this locality is included in the most worldwide important torbernite localities due to the crystal quality, size and multiple habits.

Size: 5 x 3.5 x 2 cm.
Main crystal: 2 mm.

Presents radioactive activity.

Deep red eleonorite crystal aggregates with some delvauxite on limonite. Classic sample from Rotläufchen mine near Waldgirmes, Hesse, type locality for the species. Closely related to beraunite and forms by oxidation of the latter.

Size: 2.6 x 2 x 1.7 cm.

Classic locality

From this classic German locality, Grube Clara, we get this specimen formed by aggregates of acicular crystals of sellaite, an unusual magnesium fluoride.

Size: 2.5 x 2.3 x 1.4 cm.

Classic locality

Botryoidal arsenic aggregates from this classic locality in former Czechoslovakia. It was collected at level 7 of the uranium mine number 21. At the time, due to its antimony content, it was called "Stibarsen" or "Allemontite". Good size. Arsenic specimens from this mine are rare.

Size: 5.5 x 3.2 x 1.1 cm.
Found in 1983.

Classic locality

Tetrahedrite crystals from this Asturian mine are well known and prized by Spanish collectors. In this sample we have tetrahedral crystals, one of them predominant, in which the tris-tetrahedron shapes seem to point. Good size and partially covered by malachite. X ray diffraction analysis (we will send to the buyer) has shown the presence of digenite associated with the alteration of the tetrahedrite. A classic.

Size: 3.1 x 2.7 x 2.5 cm.
Main crystal: 1 cm.

Analyzed specimen with report

Pyromorphite specimens from the San Andrés mine in Espiel, Córdoba, have been known since the first half of the 20th century. At the beginning of the 80s of this past century several quality specimens were recovered from the mine. This specimen, due to the date on the label of the J. Astor collection (Barcelona), can be dated to this period. The specimen shows several pyromorphite crystals, of good size, brilliant, translucent, thick and with shapes of the hexagonal barrel shaped prism, with the characteristic color between green to yellowish-green. They fill a vug in the goethite matrix. A Spanish classic.

Size: 6 x 3.6 x 3.6 cm.
Main crystal: 0.7 cm.
Found in ca. 1983.

Col. Joan Astor (Barcelona)
Classic locality

Rich specimen formed by several aggregates of thick pseudo-hexagonal baryte crystals, with luster, white to yellowish colour, that stand out on a matrix of goethite. The baryte specimens from this Spanish mine are highly prized by collectors. This specimen belongs from the former J. Astor collection (Barcelona). With old labels.

Size: 8 x 5.5 x 3.8 cm.
Main crystal: 0.8 cm.
Found in ca. 1996.

Col. Joan Astor (Barcelona)
Classic locality

Aesthetic specimen of calcite crystals that form this semi-globular aggregate, with luster. It is accompanied by a small matrix with quartz and chalcopyrite crystals. A classic from the Romanian mine of Boldut; from the A. Trigo collection (Mataró). It shows an intense fluorescence under LW-UV light.

Size: 5.5 x 5 x 2.9 cm.
Found in ca. 2005.

Col. Antonio Trigo (Mataró).
Fluorescent under long wave UV

Various complex cinnabar crystals, some with a cyclic twin, one of them clearly dominant. Excellent luster and intense red color, stand out on the quartz matrix from which the calcite has been removed. This mine was worked until the early 1970s. A Spanish classic that is not easy to find in the market.

Size: 6.6 x 3.2 x 1.8 cm.
Main crystal: 6 mm.

Group of fan-shaped prismatic epidote crystals, brilliant and with an intense green color. These specimens come from a not well-known quarry, close to Medina de Pomar, in Burgos, from a quarry where the ofites have been mined by the company Minera Ofitas del Norte.

Size: 8.5 x 4.4 x 3.8 cm.
Main crystal: 1 cm.

Rich group of fan-shaped prismatic epidote crystals, brilliant and with an intense green color. These specimens come from a not well-known quarry, close to Medina de Pomar, in Burgos, from a quarry where the ofites have been mined by the company Minera Ofitas del Norte.

Size: 9.1 x 7.5 x 3.2 cm.
Main crystal: 1.2 cm.

Rich group of fan-shaped prismatic epidote crystals, brilliant and with an intense green color. These specimens come from a not well-known quarry, close to Medina de Pomar, in Burgos, from a quarry where the ofites have been mined by the company Minera Ofitas del Norte.

Size: 6.2 x 4.8 x 1.8 cm.
Main crystal: 1.1 cm.

Group of cubic fluorite crystals, slightly bevelled, with an intense violet color with geometric zoning, between transparent and translucent. They show polysynthetic growths forming tiled structures on the faces of the cube. On some fluorite crystals, a generation of small scalenohedral calcite crystals, very transparent and bright, has formed. They are disposed on a matrix with baryte and calcite. Not very common in the market. They show some fluorescence under ultraviolet light.

Size: 5.2 x 4.8 x 3.6 cm.
Main crystal: 0.9 cm.

Fluorescent under LW-UV and SW-UV lights