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

Very esthetic and historical specimen formed by crystals of cerussite, transparent to translucent, with an unusual brightness, elongated prisms, rich in faces and some twins. Closely observed, it becomes a crystallographic pleasure. From a classic Moroccan mine from where nowadays is not easy to find samples with this quality.

Size: 6.5 x 5.5 x 4.4 cm.
Main crystal: 12 x 4 mm.
Found in ±1985.

Col. J.M. Manchion (Barcelona) - No. 322 (J. Fabre, 04/1986)
Fluorescent under long wave UV

Very esthetic good size specimen of native silver from Imiter. Interesting for its quality, brightness and because it is not acidified, as is usual in many specimens of this type. It is formed by numerous wire and filiform aggregates of native silver, in a loop, with a slightly bronze color and accompanied by metallic gray acanthite. An excellent piece that shows us the silver of Imiter in its most natural state.

Size: 8.3 x 5.5 x 3.2 cm.
Found in 2007.

Classic locality

Novelty obtained on my last trip to Morocco (02/2018). These are brilliant aggregates of gold formed by numerous crystals rich in faces, curved faces and disposed on a matrix of quartz. The SEM-EDS analyzes show that this gold contains a small percentage of silver (<1% weight). They are accompanied by fibrous aggregates of malachite and gray bornite crystals. This specimen stands out for the contrast between the brilliant gold and the green/gray matrix. An exceptional piece. Bleida is a mine located on the eastern rim of the Bou Azzer district.

Size: 4.8 x 4.0 x 3.4 cm.
Main crystal: 8 x 2 mm.
Found in 01/2018

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: 5.6 x 3.7 x 2.8 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: 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: 6.3 x 4.4 x 1.5 cm.
Main crystal: 10 x 9 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

An aesthetic royal-blue cavansite group of sharp crystals, perched atop stilbite-covered basalt matrix on this fine and showy piece from the Wagholi Quarry of India.

Size: 7.0 x 5.5 x 4.5 cm.
Main crystal: 18 x 14 mm aggreg.

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)

An aesthetic specimen consisting of bladed, cream colored baryte crystals in parallel growth forming semi-rosettes book shaped, with a tiny bit of associated purple fluorite. With two minor From the collection of the long time, Josep Maria Manchion. 

Size: 8.6 x 6.6 x 4.5 cm.
Found in 1984

Col. J.M. Manchion (Barcelona) - No.100 (J. Viñals, 1984)

It is a very old specimen formed by prismatic to tabular crystals of celestine, with a radial disposition and filling a cavity in calcite. The matrix is a fossil coral. Fluorescent under LW-UV light. Good size. A classic of the Catalan mineralogy of old times...

Size: 12.0 x 10.0 x 6.5 cm.
Main crystal: 30 x 2 mm.
Found in 1983.

Col. J.M. Manchion (Barcelona) - No. 55
Fluorescent under long wave UV

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.

Size: 8.3 x 5.4 x 3.0 cm.
Main crystal: 45 x 33 x 27 mm. ágata

Col. J.M. Manchion (Barcelona) - No.510 (Kucera, 1990)
Fluorescent under long wave UV

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

Very rich group of anglesite crystals, which show very good transparence, defined faces and edges, formed by first and second order prisms. They are disposed in a cavity of the galena matrix. From a classic Italian locality from where it is not easy to find anglesite specimens of this quality in the market. It comes from the former collection of L. Daunis (Barcelona) with handwriten label.

Size: 6.0 x 5.5 x 4.0 cm.
Main crystal: 15 x 4 mm.

Group of cassiterite crystals, very sharp, with defined faces and edges, good brilliance and transparence showing toasted honey lights. They show very clear cyclic twins. They are disposed very aesthetically contrasting on a matrix of quartz crystals with arsenopyrite. From a classic locality.

Size: 4.8 x 4.5 x 3.5 cm.
Main crystal: 15 x 15 mm.
Found in 2016

A rich cluster of hyaline quartz crytals from the famous Carrara Marble quarries of Italy. The ancients believed that water solidified in the form of hyaline quartz crystals... Viewing this specimen, its purity, transparence, brilliance and perfection, perhaps we can understand their interpretation. Snowy white marble matrix with dolomite crystals. An Italian gemm.

Size: 6.0 x 4.1 x 3.7 cm.
Main crystal: 11 x 3 mm.

On a druse of quartz crystals we can enjoy numerous aggregates of hematite crystals with a hexagonal to rounded shape and conical growth, very curious, with brilliance and brown to reddish color. These specimens come from a fortuitous find in an area very close to the well-knoewn town of Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines. An aesthetic rarity.

Size: 7.1 x 6.5 x 3.2 cm.
Main crystal: 3 mm.
Found in 2000.

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.

Very rich group of wulfenite crystals, prismatic to tabular, intense orange color with color zoning. This specimen comes from the type locality for the species: Bleiberg, and it is accompanied by an old label: A. Bohländer, pharmacist. In the label we can read "gelbblei" or yellow lead, old name for this species. A historical specimen, from the type locality, with good size and quality... There is a very interesting article about this classic mining locality in mindat: "Collecting Minerals at Bad Bleiberg" by Rudolf Hasler.

Size: 8.7 x 5.0 x 4.4 cm.
Main crystal: 9 x 5 mm.