Rosell Minerales

This specimen of fluorite from the Berta quarry shows us groups of crystals but also isolated crystals. The matrix is "old" red granodiorite and is lined by tiny, almost colorless fluorite octahedrons. If there is something to be highlighted about this piece, it is that the octahedral fluorite crystals show the faces of the rhombododecahedron, the cube and the tetrakishexahedron at the vertices.

Size: 10.4 x 3.4 x 3.3 cm.
Main crystal: 8 mm.

Fluorescent under long wave UV

Group of octahedral fluorite crystals, transparent and showing an intense green color. They are accompanied by small calcite crystals, very faceted, transparent and brilliant. Both fluorite and calcite fluoresce under long-wave ultraviolet light. This type of gray granite matrix is classic for the most modern specimens and comes from the lower levels of the Berta quarry.

Size: 6.3 x 4.5 x 3.4 cm.
Main crystal: 13 mm edge/arista.

Fluorescent under long wave UV

Group of octahedral fluorite crystals, translucent to transparent. They show defined faces and edges and an intense green color. They are accompanied by small quartz and pyrite crystals peppering some of the octahedron faces. This type of gray granite matrix is classic for the most modern specimens and comes from the lower levels of the Berta quarry.

Size: 5.7 x 4.6 x 2.1 cm.
Main crystal: 12 mm edge.

Fluorescent under long wave UV

Very interesting combo formed by a tinticite nodule with some calcioferrite small aggregate. Calcioferrite is showing olive green globular aggregates, with radiated crystals, included in tinticite matrix. These specimens have been analyzed by SEM-EDS and XRD and we will send all details to the buyer. From this classic Catalan mine.

Size: 3.9 x 3.4 x 3.2 cm.
Found in 2019.

Analyzed specimen with report

Very interesting combo formed by a tinticite nodule with some calcioferrite small aggregate. Calcioferrite is showing olive green globular aggregates, with radiated crystals, included in tinticite matrix. These specimens have been analyzed by SEM-EDS and XRD and we will send all details to the buyer. From this classic Catalan mine.

Size: 3.5 x 3 x 2.6 cm.
Found in 2019.

Analyzed specimen with report

Very good sized specimen of fluorite from this classic Catalan quarry. On the "old" matrix of orange granodiorite there are various groups of crystals, some of them isolated, with octahedral shapes. They have a semi-matte luster and a uniform green color. Very fluorescent under LW-UV light. Specimens of fluorite from this quarry are highly prized by collectors.

Size: 12 x 6.6 x 5.6 cm.
Main crystal: 1.1 cm.
Found in ±1999.

Fluorescent under long wave UV

Near the coast of the Catalan city of Barcelona is emplaced this historical and geologically very interesting promontory such as the Montjuïc mountain. The sample we propose is a xylopal (opal wood) in which we can observe structures of the original wood. These specimens are already as historic as the mountain from which they belong...

Size: 8.4 x 4.3 x 2.7 cm.
Found in ±1985.

Col. Joan Astor (Barcelona).

The Sant Fost willemite appears in small crystals with a pseudohexagonal prismatic habit (twinned), with striated faces. All of them are sub-millimetric in size and form druses of crystals with a resinous or adamantine luster, with colors ranging from dark brown to honey-yellow, or they may appear colorless and transparent. In Sant Fost the willemite appears associated to a sphalerite vein together with silicates (quartz and clays), calcite, fluorite, and baryte. Willemite is fluorescent under SW-UV light. Very unusual locality for the species.

Size: 3.8 x 1.7 x 0.9 cm.
Found in 2021.

Con análisis / With analytical report
Fluorescent under short wave UV

This is one of the few samples obtained in our last studies in this quarry. We saw a mica-like platy crystals, with a pearly luster and hexagonal form. The results of the different analytical techniques indicated that it was surite (SEM-EDS, EPMA, XRD, Raman). It is accompanied by cerussite, fluorite (purple), baryte and galena.
Surite is a very rare species based on a cerussite-like layer intercalated with a 2:1 layer of smectite. Can Rovira is the second locality in Europe and one of the few localities worldwide.

Size: 3.9 x 3.7 x 2.5 cm.
Found in ±2020.

Analyzed specimen with report

Specimens of huntite from this classic Catalan locality are hard to see. Huntite occurs by filling cavities in a matrix of ampelitic shales. It is a carbonate of calcium and magnesium, powdery in appearance, snowy white in color. It is accompanied by small acicular crystals of very bright aragonite. Huntite was identified by XR diffraction in Montcada hill quarry in the late 1990s (Cendón et al. 1997; link).

Size: 9 x 8.5 x 6.7 cm.

Classic locality

Specimens of huntite from this classic Catalan locality are hard to see. Huntite occurs by filling cavities in a matrix of ampelitic shales. It is a carbonate of calcium and magnesium, powdery in appearance, snowy white in color. It is accompanied by small acicular crystals of very bright aragonite. Huntite was identified by XR diffraction in Montcada hill quarry in the late 1990s (Cendón et al. 1997; link).

Size: 10.5 x 5.4 x 5 cm.

Classic locality

Good size smoky quartz crystal. Defined, bright and with "ghost" shapes inside. An old piece from a classic Catalan locality.

Size: 6.4 x 5.1 x 3.9 cm.
Found in ±1985.

Col. Manchion (Barcelona).

Baryte specimens from the Montseny massif is well known to mineral collectors, especially samples found in the old Sant Marçal mines. Although in other areas baryte has also been collected, that is the case of these specimens, which were collected in the 70s of the last century. Collecting area was located between the Collformic and La Castanya, in the municipality of El Brull, in the same mountain massif. They shows a different appearance, presenting aggregates of thick, tabular crystals with parallel and crisscrossing growths, very unusual, and slight orange tone. Currently this area is included in the Montseny Natural Park.

Size: 9.1 x 6.2 x 5.6 cm.
Main crystal: 6.2 x 4 cm.
Found in ca. 1970's.

Baryte specimens from the Montseny massif is well known to mineral collectors, especially samples found in the old Sant Marçal mines. Although in other areas baryte has also been collected, that is the case of these specimens, which were collected in the 70s of the last century. Collecting area was located between the Collformic and La Castanya, in the municipality of El Brull, in the same mountain massif. They shows a different appearance, presenting aggregates of thick, tabular crystals with parallel and crisscrossing growths, very unusual, and slight orange tone. Currently this area is included in the Montseny Natural Park.

Size: 5.7 x 5.5 x 5.5 cm.
Found in ca. 1970's.

Baryte specimens from the Montseny massif is well known to mineral collectors, especially samples found in the old Sant Marçal mines. Although in other areas baryte has also been collected, that is the case of these specimens, which were collected in the 70s of the last century. Collecting area was located between the Collformic and La Castanya, in the municipality of El Brull, in the same mountain massif. They shows a different appearance, presenting aggregates of thick, tabular crystals with parallel and crisscrossing growths, very unusual, and slight orange tone. Currently this area is included in the Montseny Natural Park.

Size: 7.4 x 5.7 x 5.2 cm.
Main crystal: 5 x 3.7 cm.
Found in ca. 1970's.

The baryte from the Montseny massif is well known to mineral collectors, especially samples found in the old Sant Marçal mines. Although in other areas baryte has also been collected, that is the case of these specimens, which were collected in the 70s of the last century. Collecting area was located between the Collformic and La Castanya, in the municipality of El Brull, in the same mountain massif. They shows a different appearance, presenting aggregates of thick, tabular crystals with parallel and crisscrossing growths, some exfoliated, very unusual, and slight orange tone. Currently this area is included in the Montseny Natural Park.

Size: 7.5 x 6.4 x 6 cm.
Main crystal: 6 x 3.7 cm.
Found in ca. 1970's.

The baryte from the Montseny massif is well known to mineral collectors, especially samples found in the old Sant Marçal mines. Although in other areas baryte has also been collected, that is the case of these specimens, which were collected in the 70s of the last century. Collecting area was located between the Collformic and La Castanya, in the municipality of El Brull, in the same mountain massif. They shows a different appearance, presenting aggregates of thick, tabular crystals with parallel and crisscrossing growths, very unusual, and slight orange tone. Currently this area is included in the Montseny Natural Park.

Size: 7.8 x 6 x 5.6 cm.
Found in ca. 1970's.

The baryte from the Montseny massif is well known to mineral collectors, especially samples found in the old Sant Marçal mines. Although in other areas baryte has also been collected, that is the case of these specimens, which were collected in the 70s of the last century. Collecting area was located between the Collformic and La Castanya, in the municipality of El Brull, in the same mountain massif. They shows a different appearance, presenting aggregates of thick, tabular crystals with parallel and crisscrossing growths, very unusual. Currently this area is included in the Montseny Natural Park.

Size: 6.7 x 6 x 3.6 cm.
Found in ca. 1970's.

Floater aggregate of laminar molybdenite crystals. Very brilliant. A piece of a certain size for this classic Catalan mine. From the Trigo collection (Mataró).

Size: 3.4 x 2.7 x 1.5 cm.
Found in ±1984

Col. A. Trigo (Mataró).
Classic locality

In this sample we can observe bright and aesthetic aggregates of lanceolated foliaceous hydromagnesite crystals, forming rosettes, of an intense white color, although they are colorless. All of them are arranged on a rock matrix. A Catalan piece that is difficult to find today, with rare species and with quality. Collected by Joan Astor in march, 1976.

Size: 6.2 x 4 x 3.5 cm.
Found in ±1976.

Col. J. Astor, Barcelona.

This specimen of goethite after pyrite from Pedrera Berta (El Papiol, Barcelona) shows several cubic crystals completely transformed into goethite and limonite. Very brilliant and with fluorite on matrix. A classic of this mine, nowadays not easy to find. It belongs to the Joan Astor collection (Barcelona), with a handwritten and typewritten label.

Size: 6.6 x 5.8 x 2.6 cm.
Main crystal: 6 x 6 mm.
Found in ±1975.

Col. J. Astor, Barcelona.
Classic locality

On this classic matrix from Pedrera Berta (quarry), with quartz, fluorite, pyrolusite... we can observe some cavities in which some small but brilliant rhombohedral smithsonite crystals stand out, with a golden color. Viewed under magnification they are really aesthetic to take a "microphoto". They are accompanied by malachite aggregates. Collected by the well-known Catalan mineral collector Manuel Moreno "Manolo" and from the Joan Astor collection, with labels.

Size: 8.6 x 5.2 x 3.5 cm.
Found in ±1974.

Col. J. Astor, Barcelona.
Classic locality

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

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)

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.