The specimens of this species have been known since ancient times as pseudomorphic kyanite after andalusite. Both species are polymorphic, so substitution is not a rare case. The label says "Santiago de Compostela", but from what we have investigated, it is the area of the Conceilhos de Touro and O Pino, to the E. of Santiago, where for decades this material was worked as kyanite. A piece with history ...

Size: 3.5 x 2 x 1.9 cm.
Found in ca. 1980.

Col. J. Astor (Barcelona).

Showy specimen in the form of divergent stalactitic aggregates, with a patina of manganese oxides on the back side. Aerial and good sized. A very curious piece of this mine from Murcia.

Size: 8 x 7 x 6.5 cm.

Col. J.A. Robles (La Unión, Murcia)

On a matrix of sulphides, an iridescent patina of covellite, very brilliant, with deep blue color. From a classic locality for the Spanish mineralogy. This specimen belongs from the Arguijo collection. A rarity.

Size: 5.6 x 4.5 x 2.8 cm.
Found in 1980's.

Col. A. Arguijo (L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona).
Classic locality

his good sized specimen from the late 80s belongs from the Arguijo collection, and it was mined in this famous "onubense" mine. It is a sulphide matrix partially covered by brilliant covellite microcrystals, very defined and visible. It has an intense metallic blue iridescence and this very characteristic color. It is accompanied by numerous crystals of native sulphur with curved faces, brilliance, translucent and showing a delicate yellow tone. It was mined from a sporadic finding in the Corta Atalaya, Minas de Riotinto. A unique occasion to obtain one of these "old" specimens.

Size: 7.4 x 5.7 x 5.2 cm.
Found in 1980's.

Col. A. Arguijo (L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona).
Classic locality

A very aesthetic miniature. Orthoclase specimen that shows two crystals with the Karlsbad twin. An unusual piece for this classic Spanish locality. From the Joan Astor collection (Barcelona), former Joan Abella collection (Sabadell).

Size: 3 x 2 x 2 cm.
Found in 1990's.

Col. Joan Astor, Col. Joan Abella.
Classic locality

These rare specimens of hedenbergite-actinolite correspond to those cited by L. Tomàs (Els Minerals de Catalunya, year 1920) and E. Bareche (Els Minerals de Catalunya, Segle XX, year 2005: "Where it really appears in large quantities is inside the well they made near the creek in the mines of Can Serrat, road from Hostalric to Arbúcies, in the district of Sant Feliu de Buixalleu. It is shiny, greenish in color; we collected and kept specimens that were examined by Don Ramón Adan de Yarza, which confirmed our identification". It is a skarn formed by the contact of the granodiorites and the limestone of the Paleozoic. From the former Arguijo collection.

Size: 7 x 6 x 5 cm.
Found in 1970's.

Col. A. Arguijo (L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona)

Hidalgoite specimen from this classic Spanish mine. It appears as olive-green coatings, forming aggregates of tiny crystals. Collected in 1999 by M. Marí and A. García. The Estrella mine is located in the Majadillas hill, in the extreme south of the municipality of Pardos, in Guadalajara. It is an old copper and silver mine whose exploitation dates back to the 17th century, with its maximum activity being in the mid-19th century coinciding with the splendor of the nearby Hiendelaencina mines.

Size: 6.7 x 3.8 x 2 cm.
Found in 1999.

Col. M. Marí & A. García, #0.131
Classic locality

As M. Calvo indicates in his work (Minas y mInerales de España), in the area of Bedures hill (or Vidures), in the municipality of Vegadeo, there are several mining works, some of them very ancient, in which various lead mineral species have been described and among them, pyromorphite stands out. This piece we propose, found by chance in a mineral show far from the mine that saw it born, shows a matrix of milky quartz, with iron oxides and a black layer of coronadite in one side. We can observe also several crystals of green pyromorphite on the surface. Some form divergent aggregates, others isolated, but with an intense green color, with zoning in some of them. They show hexagonal prisms truncated by pinacoidal faces and parallel growth aggregates. A very rare specimen for this Spanish locality.

Size: 5.5 x 4.8 x 4 cm.

As M. Calvo indicates in his work (Minas y mInerales de España), in the area of Bedures hill (or Vidures), in the municipality of Vegadeo, there are several mining works, some of them very ancient, in which various lead mineral species have been described and among them, pyromorphite stands out. This piece we propose, found by chance in a mineral show far from the mine that saw it born, shows a matrix of milky quartz, with iron oxides and, on it, a black layer of coronadite. We can observe also several crystals of green pyromorphite dot its surface. Some form divergent aggregates, others isolated, but with an intense green color, with zoning in some of them. They show hexagonal prisms truncated by pinacoidal faces and parallel growth aggregates. A high quality and very rare specimen for the locality.

Size: 12.0 x 9.7 x 6.6 cm.
Main crystal: 3 mm.

Very aesthetic group of deep green epidote fan-shaped aggregates on matrix. Epidotes have a good luster and intense green colour. There are some gemmy quartz crystals emerging from the epidote. The original label we will send to the buyer indicates that those crystals are clinozoisite, but recent studies show that all the analyzed specimens are epidote (Calvo, M., Subías, I. (2017): Epidote (not clinozoisite) and andradite garnet from Los Serranos quarry, Cabezo Negro, Albatera, Alicante. Mineral Up, 4:44-47).

 

Size: 6.8 x 6.2 x 4.3 cm.
Main crystal: 1 cm. aggr.
Found in 2012.

An unusual specimen of aragonite "flos ferri", found in 1996 at the Gloria mines, in Córdoba. Stalactitic recurved forms, brilliant and with a snowy white color to slightly green-bluish in the internal parts of the specimen. They are disposed on a matrix with colourless fluorite and traces of malachite. Not easy to see samples like this from this mine.

Size: 9.3 x 6.6 x 4.8 cm.
Found in 1996.

Classic locality

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.

Size: 8.4 x 5.0 x 4.8 cm.
Found in 2012.

Fluorescent under long wave UV

Hydromagnesite specimens from "Pedreres de l'Àngel" (Angel quarries), in Gualba (Barcelona), are a classic for the Catalan mineralogy. In this specimen we can observe some aggregates formed by radiated crystals, some of them of good size (more than 2 cm.), others smaller (up to 8 mm), very brilliant. Nowadays impossible to be found... This mines are a skarn due to contact metamorphism of Hercynian granodiorite and biotite granite into Cambrian marbles.

Size: 9.4 x 6.5 x 3.5 cm.
Found in 1980's.

Col. Arguijo (Barcelona).
Fluorescent under long wave UV

This good sized specimen from the late 80s belongs from the Arguijo collection, and it was mined in this famous "onubense" mine. It is a sulphide matrix partially covered by brilliant covellite microcrystals, very defined and visible. It has an intense metallic blue iridescence and this very characteristic color. It is accompanied by numerous crystals of native sulphur with curved faces, brilliance, translucent and showing a delicate yellow tone. It was mined from a sporadic finding in the Corta Atalaya, Minas de Riotinto. A unique occasion to obtain one of these "old" specimens.

Size: 8.5 x 7.7 x 4.6 cm.
Found in 1980's.

Col. Arguijo (Barcelona).
Classic locality

Very aerial crystal of gypsum of this classic Murcian locality. It stands out for its transparency, brightness and for visible and aesthetic inclusions. The "matrix" is formed by a group of crystals of the same species. Not usual in the market.

Size: 7.7 x 7.5 x 6.0 cm.
Main crystal: 5.8 x 2.1 cm.

Col. A. Arguijo (Barcelona).

A specimen of this classic Catalan locality, with several interpenetrated cubic crystals of yellow fluorite, translucent and very defined. They are accompanied by calcite crystals and tiny chalcopyrite crystals. They are partially covered by a thin layer of illite, which we have preferred to leave to preserve the original aesthetic of the specimen. On a quartz matrix with feldspar.

Size: 6.2 x 3.8 x 3.8 cm.
Main crystal: 9 x 8 mm.
Found in 10/1986.

#109 Col. Manchion (Barcelona).

A very notable specimen for the size of the pyrolusite sharp crystals, which form brilliant aggregates. In some areas they are partially covered by small botryoidal aggregates of goethite, black and very bright. A place under the magnifying glass.

Size: 5.4 x 3.5 x 2.4 cm.
Found in ±01/1986.

#221, EK, Col. Manchion (Barcelona).
Classic locality

Aggregates of prismatic crystals of meionite, with cross-linked and parallel growths. It is arranged in a matrix with octahedral magnetite crystals, green epidote and actinolite fibers. Joan Viñals indicated on the label of this specimen (we will send to the buyer) meionite, although specimens such as marialite are described in the area. The marialite-meionite series refers to the proportion of Na and Ca, both of the escapolite group. "Probably from the La Herrería mine where it usually appears in magnetite vugs as acicular and radial aggregates of tetragonal prisms, sometimes centimetric, whitish to transparent" (Mti-Blog).

Size: 6.6 x 3.8 x 3.8 cm.
Main crystal: 1.8 cm.
Found in ±1991.

#544 Col. Manchion (Barcelona).
Classic locality

Group of octahedral fluorite crystals, of intense green color and in stepped growths. From the classic Berta Quarry, in which it is now totally forbidden to extract minerals.

Size: 2.8 x 2.4 x 1.8 cm.

Fluorescent under long wave UV

Se trata de excelente cristal de cuarzo que presenta crecimientos en "ventana" (también llamados "esqueletales") muy marcados en las deformadas caras romboédricas. Prisma muy poco desarrollado. Muy buena transparencia, tono ligeramente ahumado, y un brillo más que excepcional. Se observan inclusiones de tono beige muy habituales en este tipo de crecimientos. Estos ejemplares fueron recogidos cerca del embalse de Urrúnaga, en Legutio.

Size: 3.3 x 3.2 x 2.8 cm.
Found in 01/1986.

#223 Col. Manchion (Barcelona).
Classic locality

These specimens of banded flint were collected decades ago in the area of El Brull, in the Montseny massif, and identified as agate. They appear in nodules and veins, embedded in a siliceous limestone, presenting bands of gray tones, between light to dark gray. These kind of striped flind are well know in jewelery, and very appreciated. It is a unique curiosity of the Catalan mineralogy of many years ago.

Size: 7.0 x 6.0 x 5.9 cm.
Found in 1960's.

Smoky quartz crystal, good size, with defined faces and edges. It presents small nicks without affecting its aesthetics. Smoked tone, very uniform and with transparence. It comes from the formed collection Manchion (Barcelona) and in the attached information indicates that it was collected in the Montseny massif, which makes it interesting since there are not many specimens in collections from this mountains. With minor feldspar matrix.

Size: 5.7 x 2.2 x 1.8 cm.
Found in 07/1985.

#175 Col. Manchion (Barcelona).

Stalactitic to botryoidal aggregates of smithsonite of yellowish tone, partially covered by a second generation of the same species, colorless to white. This mine is located in the Magdalena concession, near Robriguero, with gallery and open pit works. The mine was worked until 1924 to obtain calamine and some galena. Nowadays it is very difficult to find samples.

Size: 6.2 x 6 x 5.2 cm.

Dundasite is an unusual lead and aluminum hydroxycarbonate, which is formed as a secondary mineral in the oxidation zone of lead deposits. This Pyrenean locality is very interesting for its diverse paragenesis. In this specimen we observe under the magnifying glass numerous and aesthetic aggregates of dundasite as acicular crystals of silky luster, some slightly bluish due to their Cu content, contrasting on the matrix.

Size: 3.1 x 2.4 x 2.3 cm.
Found in 2018.

Analyzed specimen with report

Dundasite is a rare lead and aluminum hydroxycarbonate, which is formed as a secondary mineral in the oxidation zone of lead deposits. This Pyrenean locality is very interesting for its diverse paragenesis. In this specimen we observe under the magnifying glass numerous and aesthetic aggregates of dundasite as acicular crystals of silky luster, some slightly bluish due to their Cu content, contrasting on the matrix.

Size: 3.2 x 2.4 x 1.3 cm.
Found in 2018.

Analyzed specimen with report