Sylvite crystalline aggregate, colorless, transparent and shiny. Specimens of such pure sylvite are not easy to find. This comes from the potassium salt works of the Catalonia basin. Analyzed samples.

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Sylvite crystalline aggregate, colorless, transparent and shiny. Specimens of such pure sylvite are not easy to find. This comes from the potassium salt works of the Catalonia basin. Analyzed samples.

50 €

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The specimens that we often see on the market as sylvite or carnallite are usually halite with inclusions of iron minerals. In this case, the specimen has been analyzed indicating that it is mainly sylvite (KCl) with some halite (NaCl) included. The red color is due to inclusions of iron oxydes (hematite). Although it is a salt long exploited in these mines in the Catalan potassium basin, it is a mineral that is sometimes missing from collections.

Este ejemplar de fluorita de la cantera Berta nos muestra grupos de cristales pero también cristales aislados. La matriz es la granodiorita de color rojo "antigua" y se halla tapizada por diminutos octaedros de fluorita casi incoloros. Si algo hay que destacar de esta pieza es que los cristales octaédricos de fluorita muestran en los vértices las caras del rombododecaedro, del cubo y del tetraquishexaedro.

This specimen of fluorite from the Berta quarry shows us a group of crystals but also isolated crystals. The matrix is "old" red granodiorite and is lined by tiny, almost colorless fluorite octahedrons.

In a building works in Cal Gairal street, in the Rocabruna village (Bruguers, Gavà), a few specimens of intense green variscite were found forming veins in grey slates. Unfortunately when we were able to access these works, the exact place where these specimens were extracted from had already been filled and covered with concrete. Variscite had not been found in the Bruguers area for many decades, let alone with this quality. X-ray diffraction results indicated the presence of crandallite. We recommend the recently published book: "Mines i minerals de la serra de les Ferreres. Les mines de Rocabruna, Bruguers, Gavà" (Catalan language).

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In a building works in Cal Gairal street, in the Rocabruna village (Bruguers, Gavà), a few specimens of intense green variscite were found forming veins in grey slates. Unfortunately when we were able to access these works, the exact place where these specimens were extracted from had already been filled and covered with concrete. Variscite had not been found in the Bruguers area for many decades, let alone with this quality. X-ray diffraction results indicated the presence of crandallite. We recommend the recently published book: "Mines i minerals de la serra de les Ferreres. Les mines de Rocabruna, Bruguers, Gavà" (Catalan language).

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This specimen of fluorite from the Berta quarry shows us groups of crystals but also isolated crystals. The matrix is "old" red granodiorite and is lined by tiny, almost colorless fluorite octahedrons. If there is something to be highlighted about this piece, it is that the octahedral fluorite crystals show the faces of the rhombododecahedron, the cube and the tetrakishexahedron at the vertices.

Group of octahedral fluorite crystals, transparent and showing an intense green color. They are accompanied by small calcite crystals, very faceted, transparent and brilliant. Both fluorite and calcite fluoresce under long-wave ultraviolet light. This type of gray granite matrix is classic for the most modern specimens and comes from the lower levels of the Berta quarry.

Group of octahedral fluorite crystals, translucent to transparent. They show defined faces and edges and an intense green color. They are accompanied by small quartz and pyrite crystals peppering some of the octahedron faces. This type of gray granite matrix is classic for the most modern specimens and comes from the lower levels of the Berta quarry.

Very interesting combo formed by a tinticite nodule with some calcioferrite small aggregate. Calcioferrite is showing olive green globular aggregates, with radiated crystals, included in tinticite matrix. These specimens have been analyzed by SEM-EDS and XRD and we will send all details to the buyer. From this classic Catalan mine.

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Very interesting combo formed by a tinticite nodule with some calcioferrite small aggregate. Calcioferrite is showing olive green globular aggregates, with radiated crystals, included in tinticite matrix. These specimens have been analyzed by SEM-EDS and XRD and we will send all details to the buyer. From this classic Catalan mine.

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Very good sized specimen of fluorite from this classic Catalan quarry. On the "old" matrix of orange granodiorite there are various groups of crystals, some of them isolated, with octahedral shapes. They have a semi-matte luster and a uniform green color. Very fluorescent under LW-UV light. Specimens of fluorite from this quarry are highly prized by collectors.

Near the coast of the Catalan city of Barcelona is emplaced this historical and geologically very interesting promontory such as the Montjuïc mountain. The sample we propose is a xylopal (opal wood) in which we can observe structures of the original wood. These specimens are already as historic as the mountain from which they belong...

The Sant Fost willemite appears in small crystals with a pseudohexagonal prismatic habit (twinned), with striated faces. All of them are sub-millimetric in size and form druses of crystals with a resinous or adamantine luster, with colors ranging from dark brown to honey-yellow, or they may appear colorless and transparent. In Sant Fost the willemite appears associated to a sphalerite vein together with silicates (quartz and clays), calcite, fluorite, and baryte. Willemite is fluorescent under SW-UV light. Very unusual locality for the species.

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This is one of the few samples obtained in our last studies in this quarry. We saw a mica-like platy crystals, with a pearly luster and hexagonal form. The results of the different analytical techniques indicated that it was surite (SEM-EDS, EPMA, XRD, Raman). It is accompanied by cerussite, fluorite (purple), baryte and galena.
Surite is a very rare species based on a cerussite-like layer intercalated with a 2:1 layer of smectite. Can Rovira is the second locality in Europe and one of the few localities worldwide.

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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).

Good size smoky quartz crystal. Defined, bright and with "ghost" shapes inside. An old piece from a classic Catalan locality.

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Baryte specimens 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.

Baryte specimens 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.

Baryte specimens 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.

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, some exfoliated, very unusual, and slight orange tone. Currently this area is included in the Montseny Natural Park.

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.

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. Currently this area is included in the Montseny Natural Park.