Rosell Minerales

A specimen from this classic locality in Malaga where groups of pyrite crystals have been totally replaced by goethite (limonite). A Spanish reference.

Size: 8.8 x 5 x 2.8 cm.
Main crystal: 2.3 cm.
Found in ±1991.

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

Group of pyromorphite crystals with a brownish green color, with very well defined hexagonal shapes and well defined faces and edges. It comes from a classic Spanish mine and from which good quality specimens have come out.

Size: 3.2 x 3 x 1.8 cm.
Main crystal: 7.8 mm.

Classic locality

Group of pyromorphite crystals with a brownish green color, with very well defined hexagonal shapes and well defined faces and edges. It comes from a classic Spanish mine and from which good quality specimens have come out.

Size: 4 x 2.7 x 2.5 cm.
Main crystal: 5.2 mm.

Classic locality

Group of pyromorphite crystals with a brownish green color, with very well defined hexagonal shapes and well defined faces and edges. It comes from a classic Spanish mine and from which good quality specimens have come out.

Size: 3.3 x 2.1 x 2 cm.
Main crystal: 5 mm.

Classic locality

Group of pyromorphite crystals with a brownish to green color with zoning, with very well defined hexagonal shapes and well defined faces and edges. On rocky matrix. It comes from a classic Spanish mine and from which good quality specimens have come out. An aesthetic miniature.

Size: 4 x 3.2 x 1.9 cm.
Main crystal: 3.5 mm.

Classic locality

Group of pyromorphite crystals with a brownish to green color, with very well defined hexagonal shapes and well defined faces and edges. On rocky matrix. It comes from a classic Spanish mine and from which good quality specimens have come out. An aesthetic miniature.

Size: 3.2 x 2.5 x 2 cm.
Main crystal: 6.5 mm.

Classic locality

Group of pyromorphite crystals with a brownish green color, with very well defined hexagonal shapes and well defined faces and edges. It comes from a classic Spanish mine and from which good quality specimens have come out. An aesthetic miniature.

Size: 3.3 x 3 x 2.4 cm.
Main crystal: 1 cm.

Classic locality

On a microcline-orthoclase-quartz matrix, several laminar aggregates of autunite are disposed, yellow color, transparent to translucent and brilliant. They present, as usual, intense fluorescence under UV light. It belongs to the Joan Astor collection (Barcelona), with a handwritten label and typewritten box.

Size: 7.7 x 4.6 x 3.5 cm.
Found in ± 1974.

Col. Joan Astor (Barcelona).
Presents radioactive activity.

Sulphur specimens from Conil (Cádiz, Andalucía) are highly valued among mineral collectors on the Iberian Peninsula. In this specimen we can see various sulfur aggregates, one of them in the form of a dipyramidal crystal. They are disposed in cavities lined with calcite. The banding of the matrix is perfectly observed. A classic locality for fine crystallized sulfur specimens since 18th century. Probably the area has been worked since Roman times. Very difficult to see in the market. Interesting video of sulphur mines from Conil [video].

Size: 8.8 x 4.8 x 3.4 cm.
Main crystal: 6 mm.
Found in ± 1991.

Col. Joan Astor (Barcelona).
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.

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).

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

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

On a matrix of sulphides, an iridescent patina of covellite, very brilliant, with deep blue color. From a classic locality for the Spanish mineralogy. This specimen belongs from the Arguijo collection. A rarity.

Size: 5.6 x 4.5 x 2.8 cm.
Found in 1980's.

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

his good sized specimen from the late 80s belongs from the Arguijo collection, and it was mined in this famous "onubense" mine. It is a sulphide matrix partially covered by brilliant covellite microcrystals, very defined and visible. It has an intense metallic blue iridescence and this very characteristic color. It is accompanied by numerous crystals of native sulphur with curved faces, brilliance, translucent and showing a delicate yellow tone. It was mined from a sporadic finding in the Corta Atalaya, Minas de Riotinto. A unique occasion to obtain one of these "old" specimens.

Size: 7.4 x 5.7 x 5.2 cm.
Found in 1980's.

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

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

This good sized specimen from the late 80s belongs from the Arguijo collection, and it was mined in this famous "onubense" mine. It is a sulphide matrix partially covered by brilliant covellite microcrystals, very defined and visible. It has an intense metallic blue iridescence and this very characteristic color. It is accompanied by numerous crystals of native sulphur with curved faces, brilliance, translucent and showing a delicate yellow tone. It was mined from a sporadic finding in the Corta Atalaya, Minas de Riotinto. A unique occasion to obtain one of these "old" specimens.

Size: 8.5 x 7.7 x 4.6 cm.
Found in 1980's.

Col. Arguijo (Barcelona).
Classic locality

Almandine crystal, faceted, with forms of the dodecahedron, and rounded edges. The back side is the contact with matrix or other crystals. A classic of Spanish mineralogy, nowadays very difficult to see.

Size: 5.8 x 5.5 x 4.5 cm.
Main crystal: 3.4 cm. arista/edge
Found in ±1975.

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

Almandine crystal, faceted, with forms of the dodecahedron, and rounded edges. The back side is the contact with matrix or other crystals. A classic of Spanish mineralogy, nowadays very difficult to see.

Size: 5.5 x 5 x 3.8 cm.
Main crystal: 2.8 cm. arista/edge
Found in ±1975.

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

Almandine crystal, rich in faces, with forms of the dodecahedron, and rounded edges. The back side is the contact with matrix or other crystals. A classic of Spanish mineralogy, nowadays very difficult to see.

Size: 5.3 x 5.2 x 3.3 cm.
Main crystal: 2.8 cm. arista/edge
Found in ±1975.

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

Radial aggregates of ferro-pargasite with an intense luster and very deep green colour. Accompanied in the granatite matrix with epidote crystals and orange calcite. The ferro-pargasite of this deposit is the dominant amphibole in the granatite fissures, although it was classified as hastingsite according to data provided by the exploiting company (according to Miguel Calvo in Minerales de España, vol. IX); for this reason surely the label that accompanies this sample classifies it as hastingsite.

Size: 10 x 8.5 x 2.5 cm.
Main crystal: 35 mm fibr.
Found in ±1988

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

Fibrous aggregate of tremolite crystals, very brilliant and with an olive green colour. They are accompanied by prismatic crystals of darker green actinolite and orange calcite. Good size and representative for the locality and the species. The Manuel-Mercedes open pit is embedded in the granitic intrusions that were accompanied by contact metamorphism and gave rise to the formation of the skarn, with important deposits of magnetite.

Size: 8.5 x 7 x 5.2 cm.

In this specimen, we observed some sulfide aggregates very characteristic of Las Cruces mine. They were partially covered with calcite and under it appear groups of very brilliant chalcocite crystals. But the most interesting part of this specimen are the small, very brilliant crystals those cover sulphides. It is an unusual species: Luzonite. Luzonite is a rare copper sulfoarsenide. I have made the relevant analysis that yields consistent results: S 35.19%, Cu 41.82%, As 22.99% (%wt). You can find more information at espiadellabo.com.

Size: 8 x 6.5 x 4.7 cm.

Analyzed specimen with report

Druse of very sharp baryte crystals showing developed and striated prismatic faces, truncated by pinacoids. The crystals are translucent, and color varies between colorless to yellowish. Excellent brilliance. Similar specimens were classified, many years ago, as hokutolite (a lead-rich baryte variety) but further analysis showed that there was only a minor lead content.

Size: 10.2 x 6.5 x 3 cm.
Main crystal: 7 mm.
Found in ±1975

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