Rosell Minerales

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

Azurite crystal of intense color and brightness, disposed very aerially on a matrix with dolomite crystals and yellow-green concretions of beaverita-(Cu). This sample was acquired in 1989 by Joan Astor from Enrique Kucera, a well-known mineral dealer in Barcelona.

Size: 5.6 c 3.5 x 3.5 cm.
Main crystal: 1.3 cm.
Found in ca. 1989.

Col. J. Astor (Barcelona).

Group of tarnowizite crystals, a variety of aragonite with a certain lead content, very characteristic of this Moroccan locality. Bright and with well-defined crystals on a galena matrix. An old piece belonging to the Astor collection (Barcelona).

Size: 5.8 x 3 x 2.7 cm.
Found in ca. 1996.

Col. J. Astor (Barcelona).
Classic locality

Hemispherical aggregate of smithsonite crystals, of good size, luster and with a very curious orange-brown color. On the label of the A. Trigo (Mataró) collection it indicates that he bought this specimen from a Moroccan dealer (1989) as "tornuisite", a term for which we have not found references, unless it was wrongly confused with "tarnowizite". Touissit specimens of globular smithsonite are known but rare.

Size: 5.6 x 4.5 x 3 cm.
Found in ca. 1989.

Col. Antonio Trigo (Mataró).

Good-sized azurite crystal from this classic Moroccan mine. It shows very defined and bright faces and edges, with an intense blue color. It presents a small nick in the upper part but almost invisible. Good specimen indeed.

Size: 4 x 1.6 x 0.8 cm.

Classic locality

Some unusual specimens from the Oujda area, specifically from Touissit. These are aggregates of sphalerite crystals, of an intense brown color, with reddish transparencies, good luster, which are dotted with small chalcopyrite/pyrite crystals, disposed on a dolomite matrix, with an aesthetic contrast. Just arrived (March 2020) after our trip through Moroccan lands.

Size: 7 x 4.4 x 3 cm.
Main crystal: 1 cm.
Found in 02/2020

Some unusual specimens from the Oujda area, specifically from Touissit. These are aggregates of sphalerite crystals, some of them twinned, of an intense brown color, with reddish transparencies, good luster, which are dotted with small chalcopyrite and pyrite crystals, disposed on a dolomite matrix, with an aesthetic contrast. Just arrived (March 2020) after our trip through Moroccan lands.

Size: 5.6 x 5.5 x 3.2 cm.
Main crystal: 1.1 cm.
Found in 02/2020

Some unusual specimens from the Oujda area, specifically from Touissit. These are aggregates of sphalerite crystals, of an intense brown color, with reddish transparencies, good luster, which are dotted with small chalcopyrite and pyrite crystals, disposed on a dolomite matrix, with an aesthetic contrast. Just arrived (March 2020) after our trip through Moroccan lands.

Size: 5.5 x 5.4 x 3 cm.
Main crystal: 1.2 cm.
Found in 02/2020

Some unusual specimens from the Oujda area, specifically from Touissit. These are aggregates of sphalerite crystals, of an intense brown color, with reddish transparencies, good luster, which are dotted with small chalcopyrite and pyrite crystals, disposed on a dolomite matrix, with an aesthetic contrast. Just arrived (March 2020) after our trip through Moroccan lands.

Size: 6.2 x 5 x 4.8 cm.
Main crystal: 2.5 cm.
Found in 02/2020

A very aesthetic azurite specimen formed by several elongated prismatic crystals, forming a kind of sheaf. They are partially pseudomorphized by malachite. The blue color of the azurite is exceptional, with very good brilliance. A nice miniature from a classic Moroccan locality.

Size: 3.9 x 1.9 x 1.6 cm.
Found in ±1990.

Classic locality

Aesthetic group of tabular crystals of baryte, with a delicate bluish color, brilliant and transparent. With a good size, they stand out on a matrix of goethite. A extinc classic.

 

 

Size: 10.5 x 7.0 x 6.2 cm.
Main crystal: 4.5 x 3.8 cm. aggr.
Found in 2017.

Aesthetic and gemmy anglesite specimen that shows a group of crystals with a razor-sharp chisel terminations, striated faces, characteristic for the species, very sharp and with good transparence and uniform yellow color.

This specimen date to the late 1970s and were found in the well known Moroccan mining area of Touissit. They are considered the world's finest anglesite specimens. Here we offer this "old" specimen from glorious past times.

 

Size: 4 x 3.4 x 3 cm.
Main crystal: 3.0 x 1.3 cm.
Found in ±1989.

#432, JV, Col. Manchion (Barcelona).
Classic locality

Rich aggregate of arsenatian vanadinite crystals "endlichite", with good-sized crystals, interpenetrated, curved faces and edges and good brightness. A Moroccan classic, nowadays it is not easy to find available.

Size: 5.2 x 3.8 x 3.2 cm.
Main crystal: 1.7 cm.
Found in ±1990.

Col. Manchion (Barcelona).

Rich group of so called arsenatian vanadinite showing defined edges and curved faces, barrel-shaped and many of them doubly terminated, with the characteristic color of this variety. These samples appeared on the market in the late 1970s as pyromorphite, until they were correctly determined by XRD and SEM-EDS analysis. This specimen has been analyzed, just for info, showing As 3%weight and 8.7% in V. Old specimen, nowadays rare to find.

Size: 7.5 x 7 x 6.5 cm.
Main crystal: 7 x 4 mm.

Col. Manchion (Barcelona).

Very brilliant aggregates of azurite crystals, well defined and with the characteristic deep blue color. On an altered chalcopyrite matrix partially covered by a layer of velvety malachite. An good size and old specimen from this Catalan collection.

Size: 10 x 6.5 x 4.5 cm.
Found in ±1980

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

Aesthetic group of sharp anglesite crystals, very brilliant, transparent and richly faceted. They are disposed on a matrix of galena. An old specimen from the Manchion Collection, very luminous, from this classic Moroccan town.

Size: 7.8 x 5.5 x 4.5 cm.
Main crystal: 1.2 cm.
Found in 1987.

Col. Manchion #352.

A nice azurite miniature, with good brightness, intense color and sprinkled with malachite rosettes. An aesthetic old piece from this classic Moroccan locality.

Size: 5.0 x 3.2 x 1.8 cm.
Found in 1988.

Col. Manchion #328.

Aesthetic sample formed by sharp cerussite crystals, translucent, twinned, with a very good luster, slightly honey tone. They are disposed on a matrix with galena. From the Manchión collection.

Size: 5 x 3.5 x 3.4 cm.
Found in 1987.

Col. Manchion #357
Fluorescent under long wave UV

Rich group of wulfenite crystals, bright, slightly color from yellow to orange. Crystallized in both sides. Most are intact, something unusual in the specimens of this site. From the former collection of J.M. Manchion.

Size: 7.5 x 4.8 x 3.3 cm.
Main crystal: 14 mm.
Found in ±1986.

Col. J.M. Manchion. #293, 01/1987, E. Kucera

In this specimen we can enjoy groups of tabular crystals showing well defined faces and parallel growths. They are interpenetrated between them and accompanied by small but perfect tabular wulfenite crystals. Some of them present small ding, very common in this samples, but this one is really good. The brilliance is good and in thin parts showing transparence. They are very aerial disposed on the matrix.

Size: 6.3 x 5 x 3.7 cm.
Main crystal: 7 x 6 mm.
Found in ±1998

Classic locality

A prismatic crystal that just looks like the typical ones from Touissit, but a more detailed check shows the unusual richness of the termination, with lots of faces. Definition, brilliance, and color are the outstanding features of this sample. This azurite crystal, in the form of a broad spear point, exhibits electric blue highlights, lustre, and numerous step faces on both sides of the of the crystal. It is a magnificent crystal with only one minor ding/contact on one terminal face, otherwise, it is really aesthetic. A very old specimen, very difficult to get nowadays.

Size: 3.4 x 3.1 x 1.4 cm.
Found in ±1985.

Classic locality

This specimen is full of brilliance, not easy to show with the camera. The Nador hematite specimens are well known but without matrix. In these specimens we can enjoy a rich group of crystals, with very defined faces and edges, brilliant and disposed very aerially on the rhyolite matrix. The specimens come from a small rhyolite quarry very close to the community of Nador, on the road to Melilla. These hematite have sometimes been erroneously labeled as "Ouichane" or "Jebel Ouichane", the locality for the blue baryte. Very diferent and aesthetic.

Size: 5.0 x 4.7 x 2.4 cm.
Main crystal: 10 x 6 mm.

These specimens are full of brilliance, not easy to show with the camera. The Nador hematite specimens are well known but without matrix. In these specimens we can enjoy a rich group of crystals, with very defined faces and edges, brilliant and disposed very aerially on the rhyolite matrix. The specimens come from a small rhyolite quarry very close to the community of Nador, on the road to Melilla. These hematite have sometimes been erroneously labeled as "Ouichane" or "Jebel Ouichane", the locality for the blue baryte. Very diferent and aesthetic.

Size: 5.5 x 4.0 x 2.3 cm.
Main crystal: 7 x 7 mm.

This specimen is full of brilliance, not easy to show with the camera. The Nador hematite specimens are well known but without matrix. In these specimens we can enjoy a rich group of crystals, with very defined faces and edges, brilliant and disposed very aerially on the rhyolite matrix. The specimens come from a small rhyolite quarry very close to the community of Nador, on the road to Melilla. These hematite have sometimes been erroneously labeled as "Ouichane" or "Jebel Ouichane", the locality for the blue baryte. Very diferent and aesthetic.

Size: 7.8 x 5.4 x 2.5 cm.
Main crystal: 8 x 7 mm.

Rich group of so called arsenatian vanadinite showing defined edges and curved faces, barrel-shaped and many of them doubly terminated, with the characteristic color of this variety. These samples appeared on the market in the late 1970s as pyromorphite, until they were correctly determined by XRD and SEM-EDS analysis. This specimen has been analyzed, just for info, showing As 3.3%weight and 9% in V. Old specimen, nowadays rare to find.

Size: 9.2 x 6.5 x 5.2 cm.
Main crystal: 9 x 6 mm.
Found in 1980's