Rosell Minerales

A nice specimen of delicate purple to violet creedite is from the early 1980's find in Santa Eulalia. Complete, brilliant, the specimen features gemmy crystals to almost 1 cm. Purple creedite specimens are unusual in the market.

Size: 7 x 6.5 x 3.3 cm.
Main crystal: 1 cm.
Found in ±1980.

Druse of small quartz crystals, some doubly terminated, partially covered by white kaolinite. Peppered by several anatase crystals, with dipyramidal faces, truncated by basal pinacoid. Very sharp, translucent and with a toasted honey tone. Very aesthetic and rare in the market.
It is interesting to say that recent analysis of the reddish ashlars of the Torre Nueva (New Tower) of the Astorga cathedral indicated that these building materials were extracted from this Cantera del Moro during XVIIth and XVIIIth centuries.

Size: 7 x 5.2 x 4.2 cm.
Main crystal: 2 mm.

Group of sharp calcite crystals, with rhombohedral flattened shape, translucent. From a unusual locality not well represented in collections.

Size: 5 x 4.2 x 3.5 cm.
Main crystal: 2.4 cm.
Found in ±1980.

Fluorescent under long wave UV

Good schorl specimen from the clssic locality of Cap de Creus, Girona. Some crystals showing a developed and faceted prism and terminal faces, some of them with good thickness. From this locality it is very difficult to obtain specimens if they do not appear in old collections, as it is the case, since it is totally forbidden to collect specimens in the area. This one belongs from the Manchion Collection and it is accompanied by the handwritten label.

Size: 7.3 x 7 x 4.6 cm.
Main crystal: 2.1 cm.
Found in ±1980.

Classic locality

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.

Aggregate of sphalerite crystals, with complex faces and intense color when the light passes through it. Back side is exfoliated. From this classic locality.

Size: 5 x 4 x 2.8 cm.

Rich aggregate of diopside crystals, with an intense apple green color. In the cavities we can observe the shapes of the lanceolate prisms. From a classic Catalan mine, from which it is difficult to obtain samples. A local curiosity.

Size: 6.3 x 3.5 x 2.8 cm.

Col. Manchion.

An aesthetic fluorite specimen showing a violet tone turned to pink, crystals very clear, transparent and arranged on tiny quartz crystals. It shows double interpenetration of two individuals. Very fluorescent under LW-UV.

Size: 6.4 x 5.2 x 2.6 cm.
Main crystal: 0.8 cm.
Found in 1989.

Fluorescent under long wave UV

Curious specimen of greenockite of this classic locality of the Catalan mineralogy. Under loupe, aggregates of intense yellow color are observed, with reflections of what could be crystalline faces. This cadmium sulphide is a product of the alteration of rich Cd sphalerite. It is impossible to get specimens today.

Size: 4.5 x 3.2 x 2.8 cm.
Found in ±1985.

Col. Manchion #398.

Rich group of danburite crystals, transparent to translucent, with developed prism and defined faces and edges. Some with nicks in the terminal parts, but without affecting the whole. They are disposed on a matrix with pyrite and sphalerite crystals. Brightness, snowy white, very aesthetic and ancient specimen.

Size: 6 x 4.8 x 3.7 cm.
Main crystal: 1.5 cm.
Found in 1988.

Col. Manchion #375, 1988, Kucera.

Very, very aesthetic specimen, unusual, showing two globular aggregates of smithsonite, colorless, transparent that let us see a whitish crystal aggregate core, with very curious growth. They are accompanied by small crystals of the same species in the form of globular grains. To give a touch of color and quality, several aggregates of olive green adamite crystals, visible terminal faces, bright, translucent and sprinkling the goethite matrix. It is an exceptional and rare old material from the Manchion Collection. Probably this specimen comes from the Palomas Oriente area of the mine. Pure aesthetics... With the label from Manchion Collection.

Size: 7.6 x 5.2 x 2.6 cm.
Main crystal: 17 mm. glob. aggreg.
Found in 1988.

Col. Manchion #378, 1988, Kucera.

An old piece from el Cap de Creus (Creus Cape), in Girona. It presents different almandine crystals, with colour between pink to orange, some altered, others faceted, which are included in a matrix of pegmatite. They are accompanied by black schorl. Nowadays it is forbidden to collect anything in that area and it is difficult to find available pieces.

Size: 6.5 x 4.5 x 3.8 cm.
Main crystal: 6 mm.
Found in ±1978.

Col. Manchion.

Rich group of sharp isolated octahedral fluorite crystals, from translucent to transparent. They show an interesting slight apple green color. They are accompanied by small quartz crystals. On a granite matrix. This matrix is classic for modern specimens and comes from low levels of the Berta quarry.

Size: 5.8 x 5.2 x 3.5 cm.
Main crystal: 6 mm.
Found in ±1989

Fluorescent under long wave UV

Aesthetic group of several descloizite crystals. Every one of these group of crystals is a group of little crystals of slightly curved edges, a typical shape in the classic samples from Namibia. Intense brilliance a deep color. From this former Sapnish collection.

Size: 4.0 x 3.3 x 3.2 cm.
Main crystal: 13 mm.
Found in 09/1986.

Col. Manchion #245

Floater specimen. Excelent group of vanadinite crystals showing a defined hexagonal shape, with very well defined faces and edges, intense red color. Good brilliance and some transparence, with internal reflections between red and orange. Crystals size is remarkable. A piece with two faces. One of them, crystals are disposed in an isolated way on a barite lenticular rosette crystals. In the other, they are forming rich crystalline groups. The presence of this baryte matrix is highly appreciated by collectors and gives to the specimen a special aesthetics.

Size: 9.4 x 5.2 x 4.4 cm.
Main crystal: 8 mm.
Found in 2013.

Classic locality

Kasolite is one of my favorite species. In this sample (from Dr. Viñals, Barcelona) we can enjoy several vugs with lanceolated kasolite crystals. With the orange color, some transparent and isolated, some forming aggregates. Contarsting on the green matrix.

Size: 4.1 x 3.7 x 3.5 cm.

Presents radioactive activity.

These specimens were found in a outcrop close to Maria Magdalena mine, close to the beautiful town of Ulldemolins (Tarragona, Catalonia). Probably, these crystals are the most defined crystals of Čechite worldwide. They are brilliant, black color and show a tabular shape defined by different order orthorhombic prisms and pinacoidal faces. Disposed very aerial on a fluorite matrix.
Čechite is very rare lead iron vanadate that is only found in a few places in the world and it is the first citation in the Iberian peninsula.
SEM-EDS and EPMA analysis show that, in some cases, on the crystal surface there is Cu²⁺ has been formed but the crystal is pure PbFe²⁺(VO₄)(OH). In most specimens (all) from other localities the presence of manganese is important, but these specimens are Mn free. We will send more details to the buyer.

Size: 4 x 2 x 1.8 cm.
Main crystal: 1 mm.

An aesthetic native copper of good size and very aerial, which shows an arborescent growth formed by flattened crystals. It is partially coated with copper salt species, together with cuprite. A very displayable piece.

Size: 11.6 x 6.2 x 2.4 cm.
Found in 2018.

This specimen shows an arborescent growth with deformed crystalline forms and other idiomorphic in some areas of the specimen, with well defined faces and edges. With good color and brightness which is not very frequent. With small quartz crystals.

Size: 7.5 x 6.5 x 3.5 cm.

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

Specimen of native copper with arborescent and dendritic growths formed by rounded crystals, partially covered with cuprite. Good size. From this classic Moroccan mine.

Size: 6 x 5.7 x 2.8 cm.
Found in 2017.

A group of fluorite crystals those, at first glance, seem just octahedra, but if you take a look carefully you will see complex terminations. Green color and dull luster. Acompanied by small quartz crystals. A classic from the former Manchion (Barcelona) collection, collected by himself in January, 1986.

Size: 7.8 x 6 x 5.8 cm.
Main crystal: 8 x 8 mm.
Found in 01/1986.

Fluorescent under LW-UV and SW-UV lights

The matrix of this sample is defined by a druse of quartz crystals, between milky and hyaline, very well defined, short prism and brilliance. These crystals are peppered by various pyrite aggregates. What stands out, very aerial, is a group of barite tabular crystals, very bright, also dotted with small pyrite-marcasite crystals. An exceptional piece for display, excellent for this mine.

Size: 14 x 11.5 x 6.6 cm.
Main crystal: 7 x 4.5 cm aggreg.
Found in 2017.

A first line arsenopyrite specimen from Panasqueira. It is a large group of prismatic lanceolate crystals of brilliant arsenopyrite, very defined, interpenetrated, with striated faces, ultimately: pure aesthetics. And to give it a touch of excellence we have a group of fluorapatite crystals, brilliant, transparent and with an uniform green tone. A more than worthy representative from this classic Portuguese mine.

Size: 9.4 x 7 x 5.5 cm.
Main crystal: 24 mm.
Found in ±2005.

Classic locality

Very curious group of calcite crystals showing forms twinned. Bright, with defined faces and curved edges. They are accompanied by aggregates of tiny crystals of pyrite, partially included in the calcite. Reddish fluorescence under UV light. Uncommon Moroccan specimens.

Size: 6.5 x 5 x 4.2 cm.
Main crystal: 5.5 x 4 cm.
Found in 2017.

Fluorescent under long wave UV