Many specimens of aragonite are seen, as "pinecone" shape, also isolated, but this specimen has an "I don't know what" that makes it different for me. An elliptical "pinecone" of prismatic, divergent aragonite crystals, which are grouped around a central axis, with more developed crystals. Different and very aesthetic. A classic from Spanish mineralogy.

Excellent, sculptural, two-sided baryte "rose" from Oklahoma. Oxidized sand grains are included in the baryte crystal structure with colorful effect. Essentially a floater. The hole adds much aesthetics. Baryte was precipitated in interconnected voids in the rock, probably from barium-rich marine waters that covered the Permian Garber Sandstone during or shortly after its deposition about 250 million years ago. The rose-like concretions incorporated the iron-stained quartz sand grains and thus acquired the red color of the host Garber Sandstone (online). These are the official Oklahoma State Rock.
Very interesting article in Mineralogical Record July-August 2008.

Very sharp hexagonal fluorapatite crystal, with visible colour zoning, more intense in the core area and clearer in edges. Bright and defined, with another doubly terminated smaller crystal on one of the pinacoidal faces. It is accompanied by muscovite.

Rich group of so called arsenatian vanadinite showing defined edges and curved faces, barrel-shaped and many of them doubly terminated, with the characteristic color of this variety. These samples appeared on the market in the late 1970s as pyromorphite, until they were correctly determined by XRD and SEM-EDS analysis. This specimen has been analyzed, just for info, showing As 3%weight and 8.7% in V. Old specimen, nowadays rare to find.

60 €

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Druse of very sharp baryte crystals showing developed and striated prismatic faces, truncated by pinacoids. The crystals are translucent, and color varies between colorless to yellowish. Excellent brilliance. Similar specimens were classified, many years ago, as hokutolite (a lead-rich baryte variety) but further analysis showed that there was only a minor lead content.

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.

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.

Druse of fluorite crystals, with cube shapes, translucent and of a green color. They are partially covered by small quartz crystals that show forms of corrosion. With intense fluorescence activity under LW-UV light. Very curious. From the Manchion Collection.

50 €

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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.

60 €

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

Two crystals of elbaite in parallel growth. Intense color, with greenish transparence on the upper part. Striated prismatic faces with very clear terminal rhombohedrons. A little gem...

Curious specimen of a classic locality formed by numerous galena cube octahedrons. They have very defined forms, idiomorphic crystals but hollow inside. They upholster the dolomite matrix. for lovers of the curiosities from Moroccan mines. An old sample.

45 €

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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.

45 €

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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.

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.

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.

55 €

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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.

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.

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.

45 €

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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.

Druse formed by a group of quartz var. amethyst-smoky crystals, showing defined faces and edges, from translucent to transparent. One has a small notch in its upper face. They are disposed on a matrix of feldspar, probably orthoclase, with prismatic crystals of green epidote and fibrous actinolite.

Rich group of galena cube-octahedral crystals, some of them complex, defined faces and edges, and with a better quality than usual for the locality. They are disposed on a matrix covered by small and brilliant quartz crystals. Accompanied by several aggregates of golden twinned marcasite sharp crystals, brilliant, with aggregates pyrite. Very fine specimen.
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.

Group of aesthetic cube-octahedral galena crystals, defined faces and edges, and with a better quality than usual for the locality. They are disposed on a matrix covered by brilliant quartz crystals. Accompanied by aggregates of honey color sphalerite complex crystals. With pyrite and flattened twinned marcasite.
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.

Huge size parallel growth of tabular crystals of barite, very sharp and with very well defined faces and edges. They are translucent and very bright and have flattened crystals of marcasite showing the twin known as "cockscomb".
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.

Specimens of this mine are unusual in the market. This sample, from an former collection, is one of those pieces that make us appreciate the minerals of the La Gaviota mine. On a matrix of goethite, partially covered with tiny crystals of pyrolusite, are disposed very aerial a rich group of tabular barite crystals. Between translucent to transparent. An opportunity to represent perfectly this mine in our collection.

60 €

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