Rosell Minerales

Very interesting specimen of elbaite that has been partially transformed into lepidolite. A Brazilian curiosity. It comes from the Joan Astor collection (Barcelona), with a handwritten and typewritten label.

Size: 5 x 2.9 x 2.6 cm.
Found in ± 1975.

Col. Joan Astor (Barcelona).

Group of hyaline quartz crystals, one of them predominant, with excellent transparence, brilliance and sharpness. They come from this Aragonese locality known for its aesthetic quartz specimens, difficult to see with quality today. It comes from the Joan Astor collection (Barcelona), with a handwritten and typewritten label.

Size: 4.2 x 4 x 3.7 cm.
Main crystal: 2.8 cm.
Found in ± 1973.

Col. Joan Astor (Barcelona).

Very bright corundum crystal, var. ruby, very well defined and pink to brown in color. It comes from the Joan Astor collection (Barcelona), with a handwritten and typewritten label.

Size: 1.6 x 1.5 x 0.7 cm.
Found in ± 1973.

Col. Joan Astor (Barcelona).

Classic ruby specimen, cherry to pink in color, embedded in a matrix of zoisite and micas. It comes from the Joan Astor collection (Barcelona), with a handwritten and typewritten label.

Size: 2.7 x 2.2 x 1.5 cm.
Found in ± 1974.

Col. Joan Astor (Barcelona).

Very brilliant pyrohedron cluster, of good size and with well defined faces and edges. With some hematite brilliant lamellar crystals. From this classic Italian locality. It belongs to the Joan Astor collection (Barcelona), with a handwritten and typewritten label.

Size: 5.4 x 4.4 x 3 cm.
Main crystal: 2.2 cm.
Found in ± 1975.

Col. Joan Astor (Barcelona).
Classic locality

Very brilliant pyrohedron cluster, of good size and with well defined faces and edges. From this classic Italian locality. It belongs to the Joan Astor collection (Barcelona), with a handwritten and typewritten label.

Size: 4 x 3.5 x 3.2 cm.
Found in ± 1974.

Col. Joan Astor (Barcelona).
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.

Group of elbaite crystals, green color, brilliant and very transparent. Embeded in a quartz matrix with muscovite. It belongs to the Joan Astor collection (Barcelona), with a handwritten label and typewritten box.

Size: 5.7 x 4.8 x 3 cm.
Main crystal: 3.4 cm.
Found in ± 1973.

Col. Joan Astor (Barcelona).

Very aesthetic specimen from this classic Italian mine. Several magnetite crystals with dodecahedron forms, some of them very interestingly distorted crystalography, with intense luster and very well defined. It is accompanied by octahedral pyrite crystals. It comes from the Joan Astor collection (Barcelona), with a handwritten label and typewritten box.

Size: 7.8 x 7.3 x 3 cm.
Main crystal: 1.3 cm.
Found in ± 1978.

Col. Joan Astor (Barcelona).
Classic locality

The label of this sample indicates that it is a specimen from Reocín. The matrix is a dolomite, different from the usual matrix of Udías hydrozincite specimens, which is usually limonite. In addition, the piece was acquired from Enric Kucera, who is usually quite precise in the labeling. It comes from the Joan Astor collection (Barcelona), with a handwritten label and typewritten box.

Size: 7.2 x 5 x 4 cm.
Found in ± 1974.

Col. Joan Astor (Barcelona).

Andradite var. melanite (Ti-rich) from this well-known skarn deposit. Sharp, lustrous, black and brown dodecahedrons. From the former Joan Astor collection (Barcelona), with a handwritten label and typewritten box.

Size: 7 x 5.5 x 3.8 cm.
Found in ± 1973.

Col. Joan Astor (Barcelona).
Classic locality

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).

Old specimen of a good size formed by a matrix partially covered by small but brilliant crystals of duftite, a lead and copper arsenate, with a deep green color. They are accompanied by prismatic crystals of mimetite, between white and yellowish, together with crystals of cerussite. An entertainment under the magnifying glass. It comes from the Joan Astor collection (Barcelona), with a handwritten label and typewritten box.

Size: 8 x 4.2 x 2.4 cm.
Found in ± 1974.

Col. Joan Astor (Barcelona).
Classic locality

A brilliant specimen of epidote, brilliant, transparent, richly faceted crystals with a very aesthetic olive green color. With some diopside crystals. The beauty of these specimens is incomparable for the species. It comes from the Joan Astor collection (Barcelona), with a handwritten label and typewritten box.

Size: 7.3 x 4.7 x 3 cm.
Main crystal: 1.2 cm.
Found in ± 1978.

Col. Joan Astor (Barcelona).
Classic locality

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).

Stalactitic aggregate, pineapple shape, of amethyst quartz crystals. Brilliant and with a more intense "amethyst" color at the tips of the crystals. An aesthetic piece, common, but aesthetic... It belongs to the Joan Astor collection (Barcelona), with a handwritten label and typewritten box.

Size: 5.5 x 5.4 x 4.8 cm.
Main crystal: 1.7 cm.
Found in ± 1975.

Col. Joan Astor (Barcelona).

An interesting specimen of turquoise (variety rashleighite) from the Cornwall mines. Formerly, rashleighite was an approved species, now it is defined as a turquoise with a certain iron content, intermediate between chalcosiderite and turquoise. This sample shows a sky blue crust aggregates, with cavities with crystals and a quartz matrix. A Cornish classic from the collection of Joan Astor (Barcelona) and, previously, from Martín Oliete (Madrid), a well-known systematic collector.

Size: 4.7 x 4.1 x 3.2 cm.
Found in ± 1984.

Col. Joan Astor (Barcelona). Col. Martín Oliete (Madrid).
Classic locality

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

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).

Petalite is one of those minerals that today are in the sights of mining companies since it is an aluminum and lithium silicate, lithium is an essential element for the manufacture of batteries. A exfoliated very good size and shiny specimen.

Size: 6.9 x 5 x 2.5 cm.
Found in ± 1978.

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

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 aggregate of tabular azurite crystals with this intense and characteristic color. A very aesthetic specimen of this classic Moroccan town. It comes from the Joan Astor collection (Barcelona) who acquired it from Marçal Llòria, from "Lloid-Material de Ciencias Naturales", a well-known Barcelona mineral seller.

Size: 4.3 x 3.5 x 2.5 cm.
Found in ca. 1980's.

Col. Joan Astor (Barcelona).

Very rich specimen formed by aggregates of prismatic crystals of mimetite, transparent, forming sheaves and divergent growths. The yellow-orange color and luster make them stand out on a matrix with romobohedral calcite crystals. A classic from the 1960s to 1970s.

Size: 5.5 x 3.7 x 3.3 cm.
Main crystal: 2 mm.
Found in ca. 1970's.

Col. Joan Astor (Barcelona).
Classic locality

These tspecimens from Les Malines are very rare today. Twinned aggregates of bournonite crystals, partially covered by cube octahedral galena, pyrite and sphalerite. They are disposed on a matrix of baryte crystals. These are classics of the largest deposit of lead and zinc in France, whose exploitation dates back to Roman times.

Size: 5.6 x 4.5 x 3.8 cm.
Main crystal: 1.5 cm. aggr.
Found in ± 1974.

Col. Joan Astor (Barcelona).
Classic locality

Exceptional specimen of opal, fire opal, with an intense orange to reddish color, with brilliance and transparence observed since it is an opal nodule with two light inputs. All light. It is enclosed in a very hard rhyolitic matrix. These are sometimes also called as "jelly opals" due to their unique color and waxy luster. This specimen was acquired by Joan Astor, at the end of the 80s, from the well-known Enric Kucera (Barcelona), a great connoisseur of Mexican mines. A gem.

Size: 5.7 x 4 x 3.3 cm.
Found in ± 1988.

Col. Joan Astor (Barcelona).
Classic locality