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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 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 crystals with this bluish tone, with a certain color zoning, translucent and disposed on the "pegmatite" and/or granodiorite matrix.
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.
Doubly terminated quartz crystal of the Compostela hyacinth variety. In a gypsum matrix. It belongs from the former Joan Astor collection (Barcelona). The label indicates locality as Villar del Arzobispo (Valencia), a locality near Domeño.
Group of cubic crystals of fluorite, of good size, with tile growths on the faces. Good brilliance, transparent to translucent. Pinkish-purple color, more blue under LED light. It shows a marked geometric color zoning on the edges. With a baryte book-shape aggregate.
These mines are near the Matagalls peak, in the Montseny massif, and they are also known as Matagalls mines. This sample shows us a matrix with fluorite on which an aesthetic group of book-shaped baryte crystals is disposed. These pieces appeared in the 80-90s of the last century. Nowadays it is very difficult to find good specimens.
Very aerial specimen formed by groups of cubic fluorite crystals. Very well defined faces and edges, with polysynthetic growths and disposed on a matrix with quartz crystals. It is accompanied by a tabular baryte.
Group of interpenetrating fluorite crystals, with an intense coluor that varies according to the type of incident light. From this classic Asturian mining area.
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 ...
A classic specimen of the famous, but difficult to find, twinned orthoclase crystals from this locality of Bohemia. A floating specimen with the Carlsbad twin. Well defined. There has been some debate as to whether or not Loket is the type locality for the Karlsbad twin habit of feldspar, as "Karlsbad" / "Carlsbad" is the old name for Karlovy Vary. More information on this can be found in [mindat].
Fine aggregates of bright and translucent gillespita, strawberry red. In a matrix of white sanbornita that contrasts with the color. Gillespita is a rare barium and iron phyllosilicate. This is a very rich, colorful and excellent piece for the species.
Group of twinned "hourglass" and "fishtail" gypsum crystals. Specimen with very good transparency, colorless and doubly terminated. It comes from the famous Lake Gilles in South Australia. The crystal is floating and its transparency allows us to see the inclusions of arrow-shaped clay particles. Lake Gilles produces some of the most unusual gypsum crystal shapes in the world.
Floater aggregate of laminar molybdenite crystals. Very brilliant. A piece of a certain size for this classic Catalan mine. From the Trigo collection (Mataró).
Globular aggregates of brilliant prehnite crystals, with a very uniform green hue.
Good sized specimen with powdered cinnabar aggregates. Intense red color, with an orange point. From this classic mine in Alt Palància (Castelló). For cinnabar locality collectors.
Specimen formed by two cerussite crystals of a more than considerable size. They show the cyclic twin, with staggered growths. At the vertex of the largest crystal we can see the twin clearly. They are not shiny and have a rough crystalline surface on the back, but they are exceptional for their size and crystallography. They are disposed on a small baryte matrix.
Good size specimen of sodalite, with intense color. It is not polished, totally natural. From the former Daunis collection (Barcelona).
Very good size specimen formed by laminar aggregates of stibnite crystals. The San Antonio mine is located in the area called "Quinola" next to the road BA-5001 between the peoples of Alburquerque and The Codosera. This is an important antimony mine closed in 1986, and it was the largest mine of this metal in Spain and Europe. It belongs from the former Arguijo collection and dates from the 90s.
Classic pineapple of hematoid quartz, var. Compostela hyacinth, with good brilliance, complete and in a gypsum crystals matrix.
This specimen stands out for showing arborescent growths of very well defined silver cubic crystals. In addition, the piece comes from a Moroccan mine from which few samples of this type and quality have been collected. To add more importance to the piece, it must be said that the calcite has been partially removed by mechanical procedures, without acids that could cause the silver to blacken. Well defined, extremely brilliant and isolated silver crystals are not very common, usually appear deformed or in complex growths. An excellent and good sized specimen.
Aggregates of laminar semseyite crystals, very brilliant, some with fractures, and on a galena matrix. A classic of Romanian mineralogy. Formerly in the collection of Gerd Resag.
Specimen with a visible aggregate of asbecasite, with crystal faces. Yellowish color. Disposed on a matrix with hexagonal crystals of clinochlor. A species not easy to find. This specimen comes from the type locality.
Specimen with a visible aggregate of asbecasite, with crystal faces. Yellowish color. Disposed on a matrix with hexagonal crystals of clinochlor. A species not easy to find. This specimen comes from the type locality.
In this specimen we can observe brilliant aggregates of brown transparent römerite crystals, a very rare iron sulphate. They are accompanied by coquimbite showing an intense violet color under fluorescent light or LED type. They're accompanied by yellow metavoltine/copiapite crystals, along with minor fibrous halotrichite. Note that under the magnifying glass we can navigate in a world of brilliant crystals, some of which of krausite species (yellowish to grey transparent). We left this identification pleasure to the collector. Regarding its environmental stability, this sample has been stored during more than eight years without further alteration.
This is an exceptional sulphur specimen, both for this Russian mine and for the perfection of the crystals. In a cavity of the matrix several very well defined and doubly terminated crystals of sulphur are disposed, clearly showing the dipyramidal faces of different orders. With brilliance, translucent to transparent. With another group of crystals, one of them predominant, on sample side. On a matrix with scalenohedral calcite crystals. Specimens of this mine and with this fine quality are more than difficult to see. A sample from the Astor collection (Barcelona). You can find more information about this locality at geo.web.ru.
Very rich specimen formed by several white (transparent) acicular crystals of picropharmacolite and pharmacolite, accompanied by velvety pinkish Mg-rich erythrite-hörnesite mixed with them. Some sinfeldite crystal aggregates are present. On matrix. Collected in Bou Azer mine in february 2018. Analyzed by SEM-EDS.
Gypsum crystals from Piła are extremely rare in the mineral market. In this old specimen we have two twinned crystals with stacking very characteristic of the Polish deposit. Transparent, brilliant and defined. They present some small dent due to the softness of the species, without affecting the beauty and interest of the piece. With handwritten label.