Rosell Minerales

Aesthetic sprays of acicular transparent natrolite crystals on vuggy basalt matrix. Very unusual specimen on the market fro this locality. Analyzed specimen SEM-EDS.

Size: 12.6 x 8 x 6 cm.
Main crystal: 15 mm aggr.

A specimen of the highest quality for this locality and for the species, named in honour to our colleague D. Antonio Barahona. The species was determined in samples from Pastrana, Mazarrón (Murcia), its type locality, more than a decade ago by Dr. Joan Viñals. This specimen shows various vugs covered by small sky-blue barahonaite crystals. The color is excellent and the size of the sample makes it worthy of a fine showcase. We have also analyzed it and will send the results to the buyer.

Size: 6.1 x 4.5 x 4.2 cm.

Analyzed specimen with report

Fairfieldite is a rare calcium and manganese phosphate of which the best known specimens belong to this North Carolina mine. In this specimen we can observe various aggregates of tabular crystals, transparent, very well defined and with a slightly beige tone. An excellent specimen for the species.
From what we have been able to elucidate, it is an old specimen, which belonged to the collection of Dr. Buford Nichols, a renowned North American pediatrician who is fond of minerals and specialized in phosphates.

Size: 7.4 x 3.8 x 2.8 cm.
Main crystal: 7 mm.
Found in ±1970.

Excol. B. Nichols (label); Col. Erich Laskowski.

Agatized coral with marked bands. In a very visible coral matrix. Filled inside with botryoidal and banded chalcedony. The sparkly, translucent botryoids and banding have a pleasing variety of honey-brown and creamy colors. Very aesthetic and unusual in the marked. Fluoresces in a light-blue color under a long wave fluorescent light. From Joan Astor (Barcelona) collection.

Size: 6.4 x 6.3 x 2.3 cm.
Found in ±1988.

Fluorescent under long wave UV

Rich group of velvety globular aggregates of rosasite formed by very fine needles, with a color between blue to light blue. They are accompanied by partially corroded crystals of transparent calcite and contrast in a very aesthetic way in a cavity of the goethite matrix. This specimen belongs from the former Joan Astor collection whose handwritten label we will send to the buyer.

Size: 4.4 x 3.5 x 3.3 cm.
Found in ±1992.

Col. Joan Astor (Barcelona).

An epidote specimen from an unusual North American locality. It occurs as parallel aggregates of very elongated prismatic to acicular crystals, with terminal faces, green in color and transparent.

Size: 4.2 x 1.2 x 0.7 cm.
Found in ±1980.

Col. Manchion (Barcelona).

A cluster of "sand calcite" calcite which the locality is well know for. Crystals show a hexagonal form, the main one doubly terminated. From a former Spanish collection.

Size: 4.9 x 2.9 x 1.6 cm.
Main crystal: 4.4 cm.
Found in ±1984.

Col. Trigo (Mataró, Catalunya)
Classic locality

An excellent old classic from the American mineralogy. Really sharp crystals of hübnerite forming groups of parallel growths, some of them isolated. Translucent, with the intense brown color and brilliance and an esthetic contrast with the snowy white matrix. Nowadays, it is very difficult to find specimens with this quality and size... From a former Austrian collection.

Size: 8.8 x 8.4 x 5.2 cm.
Main crystal: 35 mm.
Found in ±1970.

Col. F. Schweiger (Wien).
Classic locality

Isolated epidote crystal, very faceted and with an intense luster and a deep green color. It comes from this area of Alaska, from the southern part of this North American state. Highly appreciated by collectors.

Size: 3 x 2.5 x 1.9 cm.

Druse of fluorapophyllite-(K) crystals covering aggregates of kinoite crystals with an intense blue color. A sample from the past, belonging to the Joan Astor collection (Barcelona), with a handwritten label and typewritten box.

Size: 7.3 x 4.7 x 4 cm.
Found in ± 1976.

Col. Joan Astor (Barcelona).

Green aggregates of lindgrenite, forming shiny crusts. Some corroded crystals are observed, associated with bright molybdenite. It belongs to the Joan Astor collection (Barcelona), with a handwritten label and typewritten box.

Size: 7 x 4.2 x 3.1 cm.
Found in ± 1976.

Col. Joan Astor (Barcelona).

Rich group of hemimorphite crystals forming radial aggregates, with a slightly bluish hue. It is accompanied by black, zoned, tenorite globular aggregates. It belongs to the Joan Astor collection (Barcelona), with a handwritten label and typewritten box.

Size: 7.5 x 5 x 3.2 cm.
Found in ± 1977.

Col. Joan Astor (Barcelona).

A very aesthetic miniature formed by various octahedral crystals of fluorite, with a violet to purple color, which contrast on the white quartz matrix. Defined, translucent and with brilliance. The Pine Canyon deposit in New Mexico has been known for more than 20 years and are prized for its fluorite crystals.

Size: 4.2 x 2.7 x 2 cm.
Main crystal: 1.2 cm.
Found in 1990's.

Col. Joan Astor (Barcelona).

Brilliant black andradite crystals, var. melanite, on contrasting light matrix. Well defined faces and edges. Very aerial. From the former Joan Astor collection (Barcelona).

Size: 4.8 x 2.2 x 1.4 cm.
Found in ± 1976.

Col. Joan Astor (Barcelona).
Classic locality

Arborescent specimen of native copper, formed by numerous sharp crystals, with excellent luster and intense color. The piece is from the Joan Astor collection and dates from the early 70s.

Size: 5 x 3.8 x 1.4 cm.
Found in ± 1973.

Col. Joan Astor (Barcelona).
Classic locality

These specimens are very rare in this classic locality for the rutile. The matrix is formed by interpenetrating tabular kyanite crystals coated with iridescent shades of 'turgite', a term used for the mixture of goethite and hematite. What is remarkable is a group of rutile crystals, very bright and well defined. A piece with history.

Size: 5.6 x 4.6 x 3.9 cm.
Main crystal: 1 cm.
Found in ± 1977.

Col. Joan Astor (Barcelona).
Classic locality

The fossil woods of the US state of Washington have been well known since the 19th century. This specimen is a wood opal from this area and clearly shows the growth rings of the tree in question. If it is a fir tree or another member of the pine trees, it is already a subject on which we cannot pronounce ourselves.
As we can read in a brochure from the 80s (visit link): "Petrified wood is found throughout the state and is symbolic of our early forests. It represents a period of geological time when extensive volcanism buried great forests with volcanic ash and basaltic lava".

Size: 7.5 x 5 x 1.7 cm.
Found in ±1975.

Col. J. Astor, Barcelona.

Group of prismatic crystals of amazonite, a variety of microcline. With defined faces of prisms and pinacoids. It has this characteristic bluish-green color. Pikes Peak is the "mecca" of the amazonites, one of several mountains formed by the erosion of the Pikes Peak batholith, famous for its myarolytic cavities with smoky quartz, amazonite, topaz, among others. It belongs to the collection of Joan Astor, with a handwritten label and another typewritten.

Size: 5.4 x 4.8 x 3.5 cm.
Main crystal: 3.6 cm.
Found in ±1976.

Col. J. Astor, Barcelona.

Rich group of linarite crystals, very bright, with well visible facets and a spectacular color. They upholster a cavity in the quartz matrix. From this classic locality for the species.

Size: 6 x 4.3 x 3.5 cm.
Found in 1992

Classic locality

Very good size crystal of benitoite, a rare barium and titanium silicate, rich in faces, highlighting those of the trigonal dypraramid, together with those of the hexagonal dypyramid and the pinacoidal faces. Intense color and translucent. It has a small dent in one edge, common in these specimens without affecting the aesthetics of the specimen. On matrix.

Size: 5 x 4.1 x 3.6 cm.
Main crystal: 1.6 cm.
Found in ca. 2003.

Col. Marí-García (Castelló) #0.520
Type Locality

A rare specimen collected in an urban setting. Colorless to white radial aggregates of acicular artinite crystals on a serpentine matrix. Aesthetic, good size, excellent quality, very rich, from the classic Staten Island locality. Artinite is a rare hydrated magnesium carbonate. This piece comes from the J. Astor collection, acquired in 1980 from Bailey Minerals (Ángel Jesús Talabán García, Segovia 1942-Madrid 2007). With old labels. An USA classic nowadays not easy to find.

Size: 6.6 x 3.6 x 3.4 cm.
Main crystal: 1.5 cm. aggr.
Found in ca. 1980.

Col. Joan Astor (Barcelona).
Classic locality

Calcite gemmy crystal from this classic North American locality, very transparent, bright and with a delicate yellow color. It is disposed very aerially on a matrix with galena, sphalerite, dolomite and pyrite. It is also crystallographically very interesting because of the shapes of the elongated rhombohedron, with the faces of the scalenohedron. Acquired by J. Astor from J. Montal in the mid-1970s, with labels.

Size: 3.8 x 3.5 x 2.4 cm.
Main crystal: 2.1 cm.
Found in ca. 1976.

Col. Joan Astor (Barcelona).
Fluorescent under long wave UV

A really good sized specimen in which we highlight various orange willemite crystals, the main one is doubly terminated. They are included in rhodochrosite and on a matrix with franklinite crystals. This specimen is from the Renaud Vochten collection. The intense fluorescence of willemite stands out with a yellowish-green emission under short-wave ultraviolet light. Renaud F.C. Vochten (8 December 1933 - 29 July 2012), professor of mineralogy at the State University of Antwerpen (Belgium), with a species dedicated: vochtenite [link].

Size: 11.1 x 7.5 x 6.7 cm.
Main crystal: 1.8 cm.
Found in ca. 1989.

Col. Renaud F.C. Vochten (Bélgica).
Fluorescent under short wave UV

This specimen is one of the well-known calcite after glauberite pseudomorphs from Arizona. This aesthetic floating specimen shows interpenetrated crystals, very well defined faces and edges and a delicate cream tone. A classic by itself.

Size: 3.9 x 2.4 x 2.1 cm.

This specimen is one of the well-known calcite after glauberite pseudomorphs from Arizona. This aesthetic floating specimen shows interpenetrated crystals, very well defined faces and edges and a delicate cream tone. A classic by itself.

Size: 4 x 3.9 x 2.7 cm.