This group of hyaline quartz crystals belongs from the Cabiche mine, very sharp, with exceptional transparency and luster. They show parallel and at the same time crossed growths. Quartz specimens from this Colombian mine, located in the Boyacá emerald mining area, have been well known since the end of the last century.

Size: 6.6 x 4.7 x 3.1 cm.
Main crystal: 6 cm.
Found in 2018.

Quartz specimens from this Colombian mine, located in the Boyacá emerald mining area, have been well known since the end of the last century. By 2017, new galleries were opened those located different geodes. These crystals, called "mango quartz" or "crown quartz" were found in them, with inclusions that, after being recently analyzed, were determined as halloysite. The inclusions show filamentous structures and the tips of the crystals turn to orange tones. On our website we have already sold some samples with these inclusions on sale, without the orange coloration. Really aesthetic and on a matrix with goethitized dolomite-siderite.

Size: 7.7 x 5.5 x 4.7 cm.
Main crystal: 3.8 cm.
Found in 2018.

Quartz specimens from this Colombian mine, located in the Boyacá emerald mining area, have been well known since the end of the last century. By 2017, new galleries were opened those located different geodes. These crystals, called "mango quartz" or "crown quartz" were found in them, with inclusions that, after being recently analyzed, were determined as halloysite. The inclusions show filamentous structures and the tips of the crystals turn to orange tones. On our website we have already sold some samples with these inclusions on sale, without the orange coloration. Really aesthetic and on a matrix with goethitized dolomite-siderite.

Size: 7 x 6 x 5 cm.
Main crystal: 6.6 cm.
Found in 2018.

Quartz specimens from this Colombian mine, located in the Boyacá emerald mining area, have been well known since the end of the last century. By 2017, new galleries were opened those located different geodes. These crystals, called "mango quartz" or "crown quartz" were found in them, with inclusions that, after being recently analyzed, were determined as halloysite. The inclusions show filamentous structures and the tips of the crystals turn to orange tones. On our website we have already sold some samples with these inclusions on sale, without the orange coloration. Really aesthetic and on a matrix with goethitized dolomite-siderite.

Size: 7.4 x 7.4 x 3.9 cm.
Main crystal: 6.4 cm.
Found in 2018.

Brilliant specimen formed by a druse of defined tarpezohedral crystals of grossular, hessonite variety. Intense color, shine and transparence. It is accompanied by groups of green clinochlorine crystals.

Size: 5.2 x 4.1 x 2 cm.
Main crystal: 5 mm.

Elongated cubic fluorite crystal of very good size, with tile growths on the faces. Between translucent to transparent and with a very uniform violet color. It is complete on both sides and is placed on a small matrix with quartz.

Size: 6.7 x 5.2 x 4.8 cm.

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.

Size: 4.2 x 4 x 3.7 cm.
Main crystal: 2.8 cm.
Found in ± 1973.

Col. Joan Astor (Barcelona). cv.

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

Size: 5.4 x 4.4 x 3 cm.
Main crystal: 2.2 cm.
Found in ± 1975.

Col. Joan Astor (Barcelona). cv.
Classic locality

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.

Size: 4 x 3.5 x 3.2 cm.
Found in ± 1974.

Col. Joan Astor (Barcelona). cv.
Classic locality

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.

Size: 7 x 5.5 x 3.8 cm.
Found in ± 1973.

Col. Joan Astor (Barcelona).
Classic locality

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.

Size: 5.5 x 4 x 2.5 cm.
Found in ± 1975.

Col. Joan Astor (Barcelona).

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.

Size: 5.7 x 5.2 x 2.2 cm.
Found in ± 1977.

Col. Joan Astor (Barcelona).
Classic locality

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.

Size: 12 x 9.6 x 4.5 cm.
Main crystal: 1.1 cm.
Found in ca. 1980's.

Classic locality

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.

Size: 12 x 9.3 x 5.2 cm.
Main crystal: 1.2 cm.
Found in ca. 1980's.

Classic locality

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.

Size: 9 x 5.7 x 3.7 cm.
Found in ca. 1980's.

Classic locality

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.

Size: 9.4 x 5 x 4.8 cm.
Found in ca. 1970's.

Classic locality

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.

 

Size: 14 x 6.3 x 5.8 cm.
Found in ca. 1970's.

Classic locality

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.

Size: 7.8 x 6 x 5.6 cm.
Found in ca. 1970's.

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.

Size: 9 x 5 x 3.8 cm.
Main crystal: 9 mm.
Found in ca. 1970's.

Fluorescent under long wave UV

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.

Size: 8.7 x 7.5 x 4.6 cm.
Main crystal: 2.4 cm.
Found in ca. 1970's.

Fluorescent under long wave UV

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.

Size: 9.3 x 5.5 x 3.8 cm.
Main crystal: 8 mm.
Found in ca. 1970's.

Fluorescent under long wave UV

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.

Size: 7.9 x 4.6 x 3.6 cm.
Main crystal: 7 mm.
Found in ca. 1970's.

Fluorescent under long wave UV

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 ...

Size: 14 x 12 x 8.5 cm.
Main crystal: 2.3 cm.
Found in 1970's.

Col. L. Daunis (Barcelona).
Classic locality

Globular aggregates of brilliant prehnite crystals, with a very uniform green hue.

Size: 7 x 3.8 x 3.3 cm.
Found in ±2004

Col. A. Trigo (Mataró).

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.

Size: 10.2 x 3.6 x 2.6 cm.
Found in ±2017.