Very brilliant pyrohedron cluster, of good size and with well defined faces and edges. From this classic Italian locality. It belongs to the Joan Astor collection (Barcelona), with a handwritten and typewritten label.

55 €

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Group of sharp tabular axinite-(Fe) crystals from this classic French locality. Brilliant, transparent to translucent. The piece belongs from the Joan Astor collection and dates from the late 70s.

45 €

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Another well-known locality for celestite specimens in La Segarra (Lleida) is the Tossal Gros quarry (Can Fontanella or Roca quarry). Oligocene lacustrine marls, marly limestones and limestones containing geodes with diagenetic celestite. The grayish matrix is very characteristic. The prismatic, acute crystals, between transparent to translucent, are disposed in the cavities of the marl rock. They are accompanied by calcite crystals. A classic of Catalan mineralogy.

A classic specimen of baryte from Sant Marçal mines, in the Montseny massif, Catalonia. Group of very good size lenticular crystals forming these book-shaped structures. A classic that cannot be missing from any baryte collector.

A classic specimen of baryte from Sant Marçal mines, in the Montseny massif, Catalonia. Group of very good size lenticular crystals forming these book-shaped structures. Dotted with small hyaline quartz crystals. A classic that cannot be missing from any baryte collector.

The baryte from the Montseny massif is well known to mineral collectors, especially samples found in the old Sant Marçal mines. Although in other areas baryte has also been collected, that is the case of these specimens, which were collected in the 70s of the last century. Collecting area was located between the Collformic and La Castanya, in the municipality of El Brull, in the same mountain massif. They shows a different appearance, presenting aggregates of thick, tabular crystals with parallel and crisscrossing growths, very unusual, and slight orange tone. Currently this area is included in the Montseny Natural Park.

Fluorite specimens from Sant Marçal mines usually appear as aggregates of cubic crystals, defined, sometimes sprinkled or partially covered by quartz crystals. Yellow to greenish tones are the usual ones. Specimens with violet to bluish or green colors (depending on the type of incident light) are much less frequent and highly appreciated by collectors. These specimens we offer were collected at the beginning of the 70s. In this specimen we can observe cubic crystals with this bluish to greenish tone, translucent and disposed on a characteristic ochy "pegmatite" matrix. They are partially covered with small but brilliant quartz crystals.

The Sant Marçal mines (also known as Matagalls mines) are located in the Montseny massif, on the eastern slope of the Matagalls peak (1,700 m). Mining works were carried out at 1,250 to 1,350 m of altitude. The municipality corresponds to Viladrau. Mining in this type of deposits in this area and surrounding areas had been focused on the extraction of minerals of Pb, Zn, F and Ba. Together with the Osor and Tagamanent deposits, the Rigròs main vein from Sant Marçal mines is one of the most important in terms of fluorite extraction. Although there are other less thin mineralized veins in the area. These veins are embedded in granodiorite rock, which locally present metric dikes with a pegmatite texture. the granodiorites are usually altered to "sauló" (coarse-grained sand with micas, clays and quartz grains) and in some specimens it forms part of the matrix. The paragenesis of these veins: fluorite, baryte, galena, pyrite, chalcopyrite and quartz (often amethyst variety). They were mined until the mid-90s and have been partially restored. Currently this area belongs to the Montseny Natural Park, so the collection of specimens is totally prohibited.

Fluorite specimens from Sant Marçal mines usually appear as aggregates of cubic crystals, defined, sometimes sprinkled or partially covered by quartz crystals. Yellow to greenish tones are the usual ones. Specimens with green to bluish colors (depending on the type of incident light) are much less frequent and highly appreciated by collectors. These specimens we offer were collected at the beginning of the 70s. Some small nick, very common in these specimens, without affecting the quality. In this specimen we can observe crystals with this bluish tone, with a certain color zoning, translucent.

The Sant Marçal mines (also known as Matagalls mines) are located in the Montseny massif, on the eastern slope of the Matagalls peak (1,700 m). Mining works were carried out at 1,250 to 1,350 m of altitude. The municipality corresponds to Viladrau. Mining in this type of deposits in this area and surrounding areas had been focused on the extraction of minerals of Pb, Zn, F and Ba. Together with the Osor and Tagamanent deposits, the Rigròs main vein from Sant Marçal mines is one of the most important in terms of fluorite extraction. Although there are other less thin mineralized veins in the area. These veins are embedded in granodiorite rock, which locally present metric dikes with a pegmatite texture. the granodiorites are usually altered to "sauló" (coarse-grained sand with micas, clays and quartz grains) and in some specimens it forms part of the matrix. The paragenesis of these veins: fluorite, baryte, galena, pyrite, chalcopyrite and quartz (often amethyst variety). They were mined until the mid-90s and have been partially restored. Currently this area belongs to the Montseny Natural Park, so the collection of specimens is totally prohibited.

Very good size specimen, formed by numerous very well defined orthoclase crystals. It was in this classic locality in the community of Madrid where, around the 70s, the Daunis-Ruscalleda family, well-known mineral prospectors and collectors from Barcelona, found quite a few very aesthetic specimens of orthoclase/microcline, accompanied by Enrique Kucera. This specimen is one of these ...

Group of doubly terminated quartz crystals, with developed prisms and defined terminal faces, translucent. With interesting parallel growths. These specimens were collected in this A Coruña quarry that exploits quartz, one of the main mines in the world due to the quality and quantity of its reserves. The mine was discovered in 1968 by three Galicians who gave their name (from their surnames SEñarís, RAma and BALboa) to the concession and who found it while exploring these mountains in the Pico Sacro area in search of "seixo" (from the Galician: hard white rock) of good quality.

Group of doubly terminated quartz crystals, with developed prisms and defined terminal faces, translucent. With interesting parallel growths. These specimens were collected in this A Coruña quarry that exploits quartz, one of the main mines in the world due to the quality and quantity of its reserves. The mine was discovered in 1968 by three Galicians who gave their name (from their surnames SEñarís, RAma and BALboa) to the concession and who found it while exploring these mountains in the Pico Sacro area in search of "seixo" (from the Galician: hard white rock) of good quality.

Aggregates of brilliant and transparent baryte crystals, with a slightly yellow tone. They are accompanied by small crystals of sphalerite, with complex forms, and galena. It comes from the Mines d'Osor, currently closed and from which it is impossible to obtain these specimens. The mine closed in 1979 and had eleven levels, with a 290 meter deep shaft. You can still see the ruins of the old facilities and the well from which sphalerite, galena and fluorite were extracted and treated.

Stibiconite species totally replacing a stibnite crystal, very elongated, with multiple terminations and partially covered by scalenohedral calcite crystals with staggered growths. A classic of Mexican mineralogy. It belongs to the former Joan Astor collection (Barcelona) with a handwritten and typewritten label.

120 € 90 €

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Groups of octaedral magnetite crystals, some in staggered growth, with an excellent luster, very well defined faces and edges. They are disposed on a matrix of microcline crystals.

50 €

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Fan-shaped aggregates of epidote crystals with an intense green color and luster. They are accompanied by hyaline quartz crystals and fine olive green actinolite needles. A different specimen from this classic Moroccan locality.

Aesthetic quartz specimen, very transparent and with orange inclusions. It shows a very curious window growths and some facets of the rhombohedron. These specimens come from a little-known locality. Really interesting.

This specimen is one of the well-known calcite after glauberite pseudomorphs from Arizona. This aesthetic floating specimen shows interpenetrated crystals, very well defined faces and edges and a delicate cream tone. A classic by itself.

This specimen is one of the well-known calcite after glauberite pseudomorphs from Arizona. This aesthetic floating specimen shows interpenetrated crystals, very well defined faces and edges and a delicate cream tone. A classic by itself.

This specimen is one of the well-known calcite after glauberite pseudomorphs from Arizona. This aesthetic floating specimen shows interpenetrated crystals, very well defined faces and edges and a delicate cream tone. Good size. A classic by itself.

This Spanish aragonite specimen shows two twinned and interpenetrated crystals. They have a really good brilliance and tones those varies from whitish to brown, translucent. Twinned cyclically on {110} and showing a hexagonal prismatic habit. It comes from the Arguijo collection.

These specimens of manganite partially replaced pyrolusite, come from a locality not yet described in the mineralogical bibliography. This deposit is located in the province of Boulemane, in the Fez-Meknés region, about ten kilometers from the well-known Aouli mines. It is a formation very similar to that of Imini (near Ouarzazate). These manganese deposits, both in Imini and in the Boulemane area, were formed in a karst system. Associated with shallow marine dolomites of the Cretaceous age and that currently form sub-horizontal mantles cutted by erosion, overlaping areas of volcanic rocks. Manganese minerals are found in dolomite breccia and ferruginous clays. We have carried out X-ray diffraction studies showing us the presence of both species: manganite and pyrolusite.

30 €

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These specimens of manganite partially replaced pyrolusite, come from a locality not yet described in the mineralogical bibliography. This deposit is located in the province of Boulemane, in the Fez-Meknés region, about ten kilometers from the well-known Aouli mines. It is a formation very similar to that of Imini (near Ouarzazate). These manganese deposits, both in Imini and in the Boulemane area, were formed in a karst system. Associated with shallow marine dolomites of the Cretaceous age and that currently form sub-horizontal mantles cutted by erosion, overlaping areas of volcanic rocks. Manganese minerals are found in dolomite breccia and ferruginous clays. We have carried out X-ray diffraction studies showing us the presence of both species: manganite and pyrolusite.

Group of fan-shaped prismatic epidote crystals, brilliant and with an intense green color. These specimens come from a not well-known quarry, close to Medina de Pomar, in Burgos, from a quarry where the ofites have been mined by the company Minera Ofitas del Norte.

Globular aggregates of malachite, with an intense green color, brilliant and that stand out on a matrix of calcite. A specimen from Tsumeb and belonging from the Manchion collection (Barcelona).

On a recent trip to this mining area, we found these new specimens with incredible aesthetics. They were found in a singular cavity, opened in the depths of a 24-meter well, in Coud'a shafts. They have a more than exceptional brilliance, probably due to a last phase of crystallization in which a thin layer of almost transparent vanadinite was deposited. Crystals are very well defined, with staggered axial growths in the prism and with color zoning, more orange than red. Contrasting on a solid rocky matrix. Vanadinites from the Mibladen area are well known worldwide and although we have seen many of them, they never cease to amaze us. Amazing specimens!

450 €

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