Rosell Minerales

Specimen formed by a large group of aggregated nodules of variscite with concentric growths and apple green color. They are enclosed in a matrix with limonite. We can see the concentric structures in the natural fracture. Since its discovery in 1970, the Palazuelo de las Cuevas deposit became the "source" of variscite for the NW of the Iberian peninsula.

Size: 4.5 x 3.8 x 3.3 cm.
Found in ±1980's

Montejícar is located midway between Granada and Jaén, in the northern limit of the province of Granada. This area is known among mineral collectors for the excellent quartz, smoked to morion, doubly terminated and with very poorly developed prism faces, which gives them a characteristic dipyramidal shape. These specimens are found in banded gypsum and marl from the Trias in a Keuper facies characteristic of the Cortijo Cañadas, in the N of the Montejícar municipal district. In the area there are some interesting ruins of plaster kilns.

Size: 6.6 x 3.2 x 2.7 cm.
Main crystal: 10 x 9 mm.

Montejícar is located midway between Granada and Jaén, in the northern limit of the province of Granada. This area is known among mineral collectors for the excellent quartz, smoked to morion, doubly terminated and with very poorly developed prism faces, which gives them a characteristic dipyramidal shape. These specimens are found in banded gypsum and marl from the Trias in a Keuper facies characteristic of the Cortijo Cañadas, in the N of the Montejícar municipal district. In the area there are some interesting ruins of plaster kilns.

Size: 4.5 x 3.5 x 3.2 cm.
Main crystal: 10 x 10 mm.

Group of calcite crystals, defined, transparent and brilliant, with a developed prism and negative rhombohedron top terminal faces. On a matrix of barite and calcite. They were collected in a  from open-air mining works in the area of Duyos. Nowadays, these samples from this Asturian mine are very difficult to obtain. They come from the former Manchion collection (with label).

Size: 4.9 x 3.0 x 2.8 cm.
Main crystal: 1.5 x 0.4 cm.
Found in 01/1984.

Col. J.M. Manchion (Barcelona) - No.63 (J. Viñals).
Calcite is fluorescent under LW-UV.

This octahedral green fluorite is perched on a druse of quartz, with window forms. It shows defined faces and slightly curved edges. Color is intense with transparence. On a matrix of feldspar. This is from a small tungsten mine that was worked intermittently in the past including by the Russian government as a source for tungsten back in the 1980s. Few good minerals came out, and fewer still in this size and quality.Fluorescent under LW-UV.

Size: 5.7 x 4.8 x 4.2 cm.
Main crystal: 24 x 22 mm.

Fluorescent under long wave UV

Group of huge size orthoclase crystals, showing the complex faces. Nice slightly orange color and defined edges and faces. It was collected many years ago near of the Montseny massif; this area was well known for orthoclase mineral collectors. A classic from a classic Catalan collection.

Size: 6.5 x 5.4 x 4 cm.
Main crystal: 40 x 27 mm.

Excol. Misser (Llinars del Vallès)

Baryte specimens from this Maghrebian locality are very unusual. They appear labeled as Irhoud and there is a discussion about the locality. These are aggregates of tabular lanceolate baryte crystals those form beautiful rosettes, very aerial disposed, with inclusions those give them these reddish tones. On a matrix with quartz. A rarity.
Echemaïa (Arabic: الشماعية) is a city of Morocco, located in the region of Marrakech-Safi between the city of Safi and Marrakech. Formerly called "Al Kasba" it was renamed "Chemaïa" (literally: "La Chandelière") since the establishment of one of the largest candle factories in the region.

Size: 9.5 x 7.0 x 4.7 cm.
Main crystal: 25 mm.
Found in 1970's.

Col. J.M. Manchion (Barcelona) - No. 325 (1987)

A rich group of baryte crystals, with staggered stalactite growths, intense white, with defined faces and edges and forming a very displayable and aesthetic "crest". A Spanish classic, different from the usual.

Size: 12 x 5.5 x 4.5 cm.

Col. J.M. Manchion (Barcelona) - No. 460 (Sants, 1989)

A very aesthetic specimen that shows a vug in the sulphide matrix, partially covered by tabular lanceolated crystals of erythrite. They are disposed very aerial in elegant radial aggregates. Intense color and transparence. They are accompanied by small groups of pale pink almost colorless talmessite-wendwilsonitecrystals of  and almost black crystals of arseniosiderite. All standing out on the dolomite. A sample of very good quality and that under increase makes us enjoy these arsenates. We will send all the analytical results to the buyer.

Size: 7.5 x 5.8 x 4.5 cm.
Main crystal: 9 x 8 mm aggr.

Analyzed specimen with report

Aesthetic and brilliant botryoidal hematite from a Scotish locality not well represented in collections. On a reddish baryte matrix.

Size: 8.0 x 7.2 x 4.5 cm.

Ex-col Daunis (Barcelona)

Mellite, also called xylocriptite or honeystone, is an organometallic compound. It is an aluminum salt of the melitic acid; that is, an aluminum benzene-hexacarboxylate hydrate with a chemical formula Al2C6(COO)6·16H2O. This is a rare rare secondary mineral in lignite deposits. In this sample we can observe rich facets and transparence. Nice specimen. Fluorescent under SW-UV.

Size: 5.3 x 4.5 x 3.5 cm.
Main crystal: 18 x 10 mm

Fluorescent under short wave UV

A really curious specimen that shows a matrix with well developed crystals of pyrite, partially covered by galena, very bright and with extremely rounded forms, remarkable shape! It is also accompanied by complex crystals of sphalerite. A very aesthetic, unusual and interesting sample.

Size: 6.2 x 6.0 x 4.4 cm.

Very brilliant specimen of arsenopyrite with quartz from this classic Asturian locality. It presents a matrix with quartz and pyrite, and in the cavities several good sized quartz crystals accompanied by small but brilliant arsenopyrite crystals. Spanish classic.

Size: 8.0 x 6.4 x 4.8 cm.

The baryte specimens of this Italian mine, which finished its work in the 80's, are considered among the best European classics for the species. This specimen presents a rich group of tabular crystals, with sharp edges and faces, excellent transparence and a superb toasted honey color. It emphasizes among them a crystal of more than 5 cm. Nowadays it is very difficult to find these samples with this quality. An European classic.

Size: 8.7 x 4.5 x 4.0 cm.
Main crystal: 5.3 x 2.7 cm.

Rich group of fluorite crystals, cubic, transparent and very brilliant. With a yellow color with greenish tones. They are partially covered by snowy white rhombohedral curved dolomite crystals. From a classic Spanish mine.

Size: 7.0 x 5.5 x 3.5 cm.

Very curious aggregate of calcite crystals, forming a rosette, which are disposed very aesthetically on a matrix of quartz crystals. We can observe numerous acicular aggregates of goethite included in the quartz and even coming out of it and penetrating the calcite. An unusual Moroccan piece as is its locality. From the Gustav Beck collection.

Size: 4.8 x 3.0 x 3.0 cm.

Col. Gustav Beck

Group of barite crystals with parallel growth, between transparent and translucent, with brilliant, honey to yellowish tone and with defined tabular shape. An aesthetic specimen with a minor marcasite matrix.

Size: 4.8 x 4.3 x 3.7 cm.
Main crystal: 3.7 x 2.8 cm.
Found in 2013.

Two generations of vanadinite crystals. A good-sized brilliant crystals, with echeloned growths and defined faces and edges. With good color yellow and peppered by deep black coronadite globular aggregates and covering the matrix. Another generation shows small crystals (<1 mm) but with a nice luster, transparence, and yellowish tone. Both are on goethite with mottramite crystals.

Size: 8.5 x 7.7 x 4.6 cm.
Found in 2012

Group of fluorite crystals showing cubic faces with edges beveled by tetrahexahedron. Brilliance, transparence and with a slight bluish tint. A very aesthetic miniature from this classic fluorite Spanish locality.

Size: 5.7 x 5.5 x 3.0 cm.
Main crystal: 12 x 12 mm.

Very aesthetic stalactic-botryoidal formation of goethite, with some iridescence. This specimen does not show those colors seen in the samples of this locality since it has not been manually husked. It is presented in the original shape with which it appears in the deposit, nowadays very difficult to find.

Size: 8.3 x 4.5 x 3.0 cm.
Found in 2011.

From a locality not well represented in collections, we can enjoy this specimen formed by several fibrous aggregates of actinolite (byssolite), brilliant and with a greenish color. Disposed on a matrix with quartz and albite.

Size: 7.4 x 4.0 x 2.5 cm.

Very aesthetic group of tabular baryte crystals, with a delicate blue color, brilliant and transparent. Damage free, with some goethite inclusions. Very aerial disposed on the matrix.

Size: 5.0 x 4.5 x 3.5 cm.
Main crystal: 40 x 30 mm aggr.

These specimens of Peruvian arsenopyrite stand out for their excellent luster and perfection of its crystals. With the camera I am not able to capture its real beauty. On a sulfide matrix we can enjoy hundreds of arsenopyrite crystals, prismatic, with defined terminal faces, rather than well-defined. They're accompanied by chalcopyrite crystals with dull luster, but gold tone, also well-defined and twinned. Brilliance and quality. A novelty of Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines 2016.
In this sample we see aggregates of intense black color and metallic luster which analysis indicates that it is ferberite (with minor % Mn). Simply outstanding.

Size: 6.5 x 6.3 x 4.0 cm.
Main crystal: 5 x 2 mm.
Found in 2016.

Very brilliant specimen formed by numerous polysynthetic growths of octahedral pyrite crystals. The golden color is superior and brilliance, as we said before, is really excellent. With white milky quartz. A fine piece from a not well represented locality.
These mines are located approximately 50 km south of Alnif, near the border with Algeria. This area was already mined in medieval age for the extraction of copper. In the 60s of the last century, French companies expanded shafts and mineral extraction.

Size: 6.8 x 5.2 x 4.5 cm.
Main crystal: 10 x 9 mm.
Found in 2013.

Bright specimen that consists of parallel aggregates of tabular baryte crystals on which we can observe various groups of marcasite crystals, many isolated, twinned, flattened and with good brightness. Very representative for the species and with an interesting mineral balance.

Size: 5.8 x 5.5 x 3.5 cm.
Main crystal: 15 x 10 mm. marc.
Found in 2013.