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These celestite specimens are a classic of Catalan mineralogy. They were found decades ago in fissures in the carbonate marls of Els Esbornacs area (Catalan word meaning fissures produced by landslides), in the Plana de Vic. They occur as orthorhombic prismatic crystals, transparent to translucent, bright and with a very characteristic greyish-blue color.
Very interesting specimen from this old Roman mine located between Cármenes and Villamanín (León, Spain), which was later exploited for copper until the end of the 20th century. These are botryodal aggregates of chrysocolla replacing tyrolite. A rarity of this Leonese mine.
Specimens of huntite from this classic Catalan locality are hard to see. Huntite occurs by filling cavities in a matrix of ampelitic shales. It is a carbonate of calcium and magnesium, powdery in appearance, snowy white in color. It is accompanied by small acicular crystals of very bright aragonite. Huntite was identified by XR diffraction in Montcada hill quarry in the late 1990s (Cendón et al. 1997; link).
Specimens of huntite from this classic Catalan locality are hard to see. Huntite occurs by filling cavities in a matrix of ampelitic shales. It is a carbonate of calcium and magnesium, powdery in appearance, snowy white in color. It is accompanied by small acicular crystals of very bright aragonite. Huntite was identified by XR diffraction in Montcada hill quarry in the late 1990s (Cendón et al. 1997; link).
This old specimen belongs from the classic Atrevida mine, in the south of Catalonia. It is a botryoidal concretion of aragonite with a slight greenish blue hue. Nowadays is strictly forbiden collect minerals in this Natural Park. From the Manchion collection (Barcelona), with handwritten label of Soler i Pujol old label.
Group of pyromorphite crystals with a brownish green color, with very well defined hexagonal shapes and well defined faces and edges. It comes from a classic Spanish mine and from which good quality specimens have come out.
Group of pyromorphite crystals with a brownish green color, with very well defined hexagonal shapes and well defined faces and edges. It comes from a classic Spanish mine and from which good quality specimens have come out.
Group of pyromorphite crystals with a brownish green color, with very well defined hexagonal shapes and well defined faces and edges. It comes from a classic Spanish mine and from which good quality specimens have come out.
Group of pyromorphite crystals with a brownish to green color with zoning, with very well defined hexagonal shapes and well defined faces and edges. On rocky matrix. It comes from a classic Spanish mine and from which good quality specimens have come out. An aesthetic miniature.
Group of pyromorphite crystals with a brownish to green color, with very well defined hexagonal shapes and well defined faces and edges. On rocky matrix. It comes from a classic Spanish mine and from which good quality specimens have come out. An aesthetic miniature.
Group of pyromorphite crystals with a brownish green color, with very well defined hexagonal shapes and well defined faces and edges. It comes from a classic Spanish mine and from which good quality specimens have come out. An aesthetic miniature.
Group of cubic fluorite crystals, brilliant, transparent and with a yellow color with zoning, more orange in the core of some of the crystals. Dotted with small beveled cubic crystals of pyrite. The back side is fully upholstered in pyrite.
Good size smoky quartz crystal. Defined, bright and with "ghost" shapes inside. An old piece from a classic Catalan locality.
Fehrite is a recent new species found in Almeria (Spain). Some years ago (2012) we identified this species in the Les Ferreres mine (Camprodon) but unfortunatelly we didn't have enough sample to finish detrmination and structural studies. Recently we found some more samples and the characterization was carried out based on the results obtained from the application of various analytical techniques: SEM-EDS, Raman and X-ray diffraction. Les Ferreres mine is the second locality worldwide for the species. We will send all reports to the buyer.
In this Catalan mine, fehrite appears as elongated elongated tabular to fibrous crystals, with a delicate bluish-green tone, and fibrous terminations. Usually, it is accompanied by devilline (blue) and brochantite (green). It is the magnesium analogue of ktenasite.
Group of complex sphalerite crystals with striated facets. Bright, translucent and with a toasted honey color. Exfoliated on the back.
Blocky aerinite criptocristalline with fragments of dolerite included. Aerinite was used as a blue pigment in many Romanesque paintings in the Pyrenees between the 11th and 14th centuries. Its characteristic blue color varies from dark to pale blue. In fact, its name comes from a Greek root aerinos meaning "atmosphere" or "sky", as it was only known by that color.
The schorl specimens from Cap de Creus are well known to Spanish mineral collectors. This specimen from the 70s of the last century shows us a striated prism and defined facets of the terminal faces, something unusual. This area of the NE of Catalonia is now a Natural Park and it is totally forbidden to extract specimens.
These specimens come from the rocky outcrops that are located near the town of Serveto. These are doleritic rocks in which epidote and these prehnites are found in. Currently it is very difficult to get samples. These specimens we offer date from the years 2005-2006. Prehnite appears as globular aggregates of prismatic crystals, sometimes more developed and visible. The light green color is very uniform. Rare locality not well represented in collections.
These specimens come from the rocky outcrops that are located near the town of Serveto. These are doleritic rocks in which epidote and these prehnites are found in. Currently it is very difficult to get samples. These specimens we offer date from the years 2005-2006. Prehnite appears as globular aggregates of prismatic crystals, sometimes more developed and visible. The light green color is very uniform. Rare locality not well represented in collections.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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].
Pyrolusite specimens from Sagides (Soria) are rare on the market. In this specimen we can see bright aggregates of fine prismatic pyrolusite crystals. They are partially covering a goethite matrix.