Museo Geominero del Instituto Geológico y Minero de España(ヘオミネロ地質・鉱物博物館)
この博物館は“Museo del IGME”という名称でよく知られています。ここでの”IGME”とは”Instituto Geologico y Minero de España”の略で、地質鉱業学会という意味です。
Museo Histórico-Minero Don Felipe de Borbón y Grecia(ドンフェリペ・デ・ブルボン歴史鉱業博物館)
この博物館は長い歴史のある、親しみやすさと整然さを兼ね備えた博物館です。さらに、ここは今まで紹介してきた博物館の中で私の１番のお気に入りの博物館でもあります。なんとこの博物館は、19世紀に実際に使われていたマドリード鉱業学校の素晴らしい建物をそのまま再利用しているんですよ!
さて、ではこの短い鉱業博物館見学ツアーの締めに、この博物館で私が一番気に入っている標本を紹介しましょう。これはものすごく珍しい巨大な閃亜鉛鉱の標本です(from the Picos de Europa Mountains, Spain)。このラベルに記載されている”Aliva”とは宝石質の閃亜鉛鉱を産出することで有名なPicos de Europa の中心部の地域の名前です。この標本は結晶形が非常にはっきりとしており、透光性はほぼありません。このことから考えられるのは、この標本は恐らく有名な Aliva 地区のLas Manforas鉱山から産出したのでは無く、Picos de Europaの古い珍しい鉱山から産出したのではないかということです。
すごく珍しいキャビネットサイズの閃亜鉛鉱標本, Picos de Europa mountains, Spain.
In this post I am going to write about modified fluorite crystals. It is not going to be an static post, so each time I come across a nice modification, or I wonder about which type of modification has one of my specimens,… I will let you know through this post. Basically, I will post modified fluorite crystals from Asturias, but that is a lot because some of the fluorite localities in Asturias produce many lovely and different modifications.
As you probably already know, among thousands of different mineral species, fluorite is one of the most loved ones. I would dare to say it is the mineral that most collectors like! It can present lots of different colours, awesome and different mineral associations, crystallizations, corner modifications and so on!
Let’s start with one thumbnail fluorite specimens I sent recently to a good friend.
Please if you think any of the modifications presented here are incorrectly named, or just because you want to discuss about them, please feel free to let me know through email or just write a comment! Pretty sure there will be doubts in some crystals!
Fluorite crystal from Emilio Mine, Asturias, Spain. It shows a trapezohedron modification {113}, specially well developed in one of its faces.Another view of the same modified crystalSilvery coloured inclusions inside the modified crystal
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Today I just shot again a really weird modification on one fluorite specimen from La Viesca Mine, Asturias, Spain.
I found some of these modifications a few years ago in different pockets and it was a total surprise to me. I had never seen anything like this.
It reminds to the pattern when you separate two crystals but this is clearly not that case.
Let’s see some photos.
With this photo you can appreciate well the modification. Looks like a normal cube, but in one of its corners it presents a dodecahedral modification plus many fine lines on each side.Other side of the same crystal showing very minor dodecahedron modifications.Overall view of the specimen. It is around 3 cm.
Madrid, the capital of Spain, is a real paradise for mineralogical museum enthusiasts. There are not many capitals in Europe where you can visit three outstanding mineralogical museums, but in Madrid you can!
Each one has high quality minerals and the three deserve a visit for sure. But they are quite different, so I am going to start writing about each one.
Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales
Juan at the museum entrance, back in 2005! I was just about to start my Geology degree at the University of Madrid….yes, time flies!
This is my least favourite out of the three, but still deserves time for a visit. The museum exhibits some quality minerals from old Spanish localities, but also many specimens of average or low quality, giving a not great overall impresion for a specialist in fine mineral specimens. On the other side, it can be very educative if you travel with children.
Museo de Ciencias Naturales, Madrid
The mineral exhibits are not very well cared: you can see some cabinets with dust, poor labelling, etc.
Poor example of fluorite with almost no existing labelling. Note the cleanliness and conditions of the exhibit.
Nonetheless, you can appreciate some excepcional minerals like a really large pyromorphite from El Horcajo, probably the largest I have ever seen. Or even a larger sulphur from Conil, both from true classic Spanish mineral localities!
Very large pyromorphite from El Horcajo, Ciudad Real.Very large sulphur from the extinct locality of Conil, Cadiz
You will find information about minerals and their uses, clearly aimed for a student level visitant. This is probably the most appealing mineral museum for children. But don’t get me wrong, fine mineral lovers will find some great mineral specimens as well.
Hematites, Elba island, ItalyGalena pseudomorph of pyromorphite, France.
In my opinion, if you are short of time, this museum is the one you can skip. You can not miss the others because they are just great classic mineralogical museums. Continue reading!
Museo Geominero del Instituto Geológico y Minero de España
It is also known by “Museo del IGME”. “IGME” stands for Instituto Geologico y Minero de España, which could be translated as Geological and Mining Institute of Spain.
Entrance of the museum. The address is 23 Rios Rosas, Madrid
The building itself justifies a visit. It was built between 1921 and 1940. The greatness of every hall takes you back to past times, when the Spanish mining industry was of great importance for the industrial development in Europe.
Interior of the IGME museumEntrance to the main hallMain hall of the museumCeiling of the main hall
The museum shows one of the best sistematic mineral collections of the country with some provinces extremely well represented, for example, Madrid. The collection exhibited at the time of my visit did not stand out due to a large number of fine and aesthetic mineral specimens, although there were some, but because of the wide amount of minerals and localities represented.
Let’s say that the collection had very valuable specimens from rare Spanish localities but few of them ranked high in aesthetics if you compared them with worldwide localities. See below some nice specimens.
Gorgeous example of Freieslebenite from Hiendelaencina, Guadalajara, Spain.Very nice and large octahedral pyrite from Lillo, LeonInteresting bournonite from Chillon, Ciudad Real
Other Spanish localities famous worldwide for their quality could be much better represented.
Low quality example of Spanish fluorite from Asturias
A visit to this museum is highly recommended. If you have enough time you will see hundreds of interesting specimens from Spain and overseas. If we add the quiet and classic atmosphere that surrounds the cabinets you will enjoy your visit for sure! Also, if you are lucky enough, you will see interesting temporary exhibitions which, from time to time, the curators of the museum assemble.
Another good point of this museum is its proximity to the next one…keep reading!
Museo Histórico-Minero Don Felipe de Borbón y Grecia
This is a very classic, cosy and tidy museum. Indeed, it is probably my favourite one out of the three of them. It is located in the XIX century building of the School of Mining Engineers of Madrid. Awesome building again!
Building facade. The address is 21 Rios Rosas Street.
One thing to keep in mind before a visit to this museum is that it is not open everyday. I think it opens always by appointment and also the first Sunday of each month (not sure about August), but it is best to give them a call well in advance.
The mineral and antique book collections inside the building are of great quality and importance for the country. Regarding the mineral collection, it tends to be better if we focus on classic, long ago closed Spanish localities, like Almaden, El Horcajo, Hiendelaencina, etc.
Large cabinet pyromorphite specimen from El Horcajo, Ciudad Real.
The mineral collection is also of great importance when we realize the quantity and quality of mineral specimens from less well known Spanish localities. See a few examples below.
Nice grass green pyromorphite from the rare locality of Campillo de Salvatierra, Salamanca.Aesthetic native copper from Herreria, Huelva, Spain.
The mineral specimens are well exhibited. They are inside beautiful old wood cabinets and lighting is good enough to enjoy the specimens. I remember two type of cabinets, some adjacent to the walls of the building and some free standing ones, all exquisitelymade. Hopefully, this will not change in the future as it is great to visit a museum that keeps the essence from past times. Of course, lighting could be better if new cabinets are set up but that would destroy the magic feeling it has now. Definitely you get the impression that the treasures of this museum are well cared!
One of the wall cabinets showing some fluorite specimens from Asturias, Spain.
As I said for the IGME museum, this one doesn’t offer either the visitor a huge number of worldclass specimens. Don’t forget that this museum was created, long time ago, with the main purpose of teaching. Is not an extremely showy museum to impress random people or to show just the most aesthetic and impressive specimens. It is more orientated to knowledgeable people who can appreciate rare mineral specimens, obscure localities from Spain and so on.
Note the emblem of the School of Mines of Madrid
To finish this quick visit to this excellent museum lets show one of my favourite specimens. This is an exceedingly rare large cabinet sphalerite specimen from the Picos de Europa Mountains, Spain. The label says “Aliva”, which is an area in the central part of Picos de Europa famous for having produced the world best gem sphalerites. This specimen shows very defined crystal faces and poor translucency, which makes me think that it is probably from a rare old mine of Picos de Europa and not from the famous Las Manforas Mine in the Aliva area.
Exceedingly rare large cabinet sphalerite specimen from the Picos de Europa mountains, Spain.
To finish of the post, another great specimen. I hope you like it and stay tuned because more will come about mineralogical museums!
Superb freislebenite from San Carlos Mine, Hiendelaencina, Guadalajara, Spain
La Collada鉱山地帯はいくつかの蛍石鉱山で構成されます。La Colladaの蛍石の多くは青から紫にかけての色を持って産出しますが、くすんだグリーンも特に珍しい訳ではありません。ここのものはゾーニングが見られるものが多いです。紫と青のバイカラー、又は明るい青と暗い青のバイカラーになっているものはすごく貴重でなかなかお目にかかれません。
Level 75, Josefa Veneros vein, La Collada. dodecahedron面に紫色のカラーリング. Fernandez Buelga Collection標本. Carlos Casariego撮影.
La Colladaの緑の蛍石について: 特にいくつかの古くからの地域では、くすんだ緑色のものの産出は珍しくありません。ですがそれが鮮やかな緑色であれば話は違い、並外れて貴重なものになります。最近では緑色の標本が市場に出回ることは滅多にありません。
Green fluorite from “Corta la Sirena”, La Collada de Atras, La Collada. Juan Fernandez Buelga撮影
メモ: La Viesca鉱山は露天掘りで採掘されてきた地下鉱山です。La Collada鉱山地帯の内部に位置します。明るい青色の蛍石や、暗い青紫の標本を主に産出します。紫色のものは貴重です。少しのグリーンを含む青色のものも珍しいです。カラーレスのものは小さな結晶のものは多くありますが、大きな結晶のものになると非常に珍しいです。しっかりした発色の(Saturation)水色の標本は貴重です。
ヴァイオレットの色見本(Wikipediaより). 詳しくはこちら: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple色の濃淡表(%). 画像元 http://www.digital-intermediate.co.uk 詳しくはこちら: http://www.digital-intermediate.co.uk/colour/colourbasics.htmカラーレスやすごく薄い青色の蛍石はLa Viesca鉱山でよく産出します. Juan Fernandez Buelga所蔵, 撮影.淡い水色の結晶内部に濃い水色のファントムが見られます.外側の縁にある暗い青色のファントムにも注目です. Juan Fernandez Buelga所蔵, 撮影.La Viesca鉱山の強烈なブルーの標本. Juan Fernandez Buelga所蔵, 撮影.多くのカラーゾーニングが見られる貴重な標本. 明るい紫から始まり,暗紫色,水色と続きます. 赤色や黄色に見える部分はインクルージョンによるものです. La Viesca, La Collada. Juan Fernandez Buelga所蔵, 撮影.非常に濃い露草色(少しの緑を含む青色)の標本.青色のファントムも見られる. La Viesca. Juan Fernandez Buelga所蔵, 撮影.非常に濃い露草色(少しの緑を含む青色)の標本.青色のファントムも見られる. La Viesca. Juan Fernandez Buelga 所蔵, 撮影.
2- Berbes mining area 青色やすみれ色、紫色のものが最も珍しいものになるのでしょうが、澄んだ青色のものも同様に珍しいです。一般的で簡単な法則として言える事は、赤色に近づけば近づくほど貴重になっていくということでしょう。Berbes地域はLa Collada地域に比べるとより多くの赤系統の標本を産出します。
強烈なすみれ色(ヴァイオレット). Berbes. Juan Fernandez Buelga所蔵, 撮影.濃いすみれ色の貴重な標本. Juan Fernandez Buelga所蔵, 撮影.Berbes地方の紫色の標本. Fernandez Buelga Mineral Collection標本. Carlos Casariego撮影.ピンク色に近い紫色の標本. 同じ系統の色の鮮やかなファントムに注目. Fernandez Buelga Mineral Collection標本. Carlos Casariego撮影.
3- La Moscona Mine La Moscona鉱山の地下から採掘されるほとんどの全ての蛍石は黄色をしています。黄色とひとくちに言っても、淡黄色や灰色がかったものから蜂蜜色のものまで幅広く産出しますが、なかでも鮮やかな黄色のものが、黄色の中ではおそらく最も珍しいものでしょう。また稀にですが、紫色を伴う暗青色のものや、強烈な赤色のものも見ることがあります。
一般的な黄色のものと貴重な赤色のものが共生した標本. La Moscona Mine. Juan Fernandez Buelga所蔵, 撮影.濃い暗紫色と黄色の蛍石が共生した珍しい標本. La Moscona Mine. Juan Fernandez Buelga所蔵, 撮影.
La Moscona鉱山の標本でゾーンの見られるものだと、蜂蜜色と他の黄色のものがよくみられます。より珍しいものになると赤みを帯びたファントムを持つものだとか、最も珍しいものだと青色の結晶の中に黄色のファントムが見られるものなどがあります。
La Moscona鉱山の黄色と蜂蜜色の蛍石クラスター. Juan Fernandez Buelga所蔵, 撮影.
As Wendell Wilson wrote recently in his High End Report Tucson Show 2014 “Color is King […]” and I think most mineral collectors will agree with his statement. Even more if we are speaking about fluorite specimens!
This is the first post about how to differentiate the fluorite specimens from Asturias, Spain. Today, I will focus in the wide colour range of fluorite crystals. In others posts I will speak about crystallization, mineral association, etc.
As you all probably know, fluorites crystals from Asturias, an small region in the north of Spain, rank between the finest cubic fluorites in the world.
Asturias region (surrounded by red lines), north of Spain. Google Maps.
There are some other fluorite localities in Spain, outside Asturias region, but they are not very well known for gemmy crystals and the quality is usually low. So we will focus only on the colour of the fluorites from the fluorspar deposits of Asturias, Spain.
Fluorite collectors from overseas usually get confused about the fluorite localities in Asturias. So many localities, so many mislabelled specimens. So this is a problem for a collector concerned with the origin of his fine fluorite specimens.
There are many obscure fluorite localities in Asturias but we will keep it simple for this post. To start with, I am going to let you know the four most famous localities nowadays. Each one produces quite different specimens, but sometimes is very difficult to assure the exact locality of a specimen.
1- La Collada . La Collada mining area comprises several fluorspar mines. Usually fluorites from La Collada range between blue and violet, but dull green hues are not specially rare. Zoned crystals are common. It is not very difficult to find blue and violet or light blue and dark blue in the same crystal.
Level 75, Josefa Veneros vein, La Collada. Note the purple-violet coloured dodecahedron faces. Fernandez Buelga Mineral Collection specimen. Carlos Casariego photo.
General note for the green fluorites from La Collada: Dull green crystals are not rare, specially in some old areas; but vivid, bright greens, are exceptionally rare. Nowadays, green coloured crystals are rarely seen in the mineral specimen market.
Green fluorite from “Corta la Sirena”, La Collada de Atras, La Collada. Fernandez Buelga Mineral Collection specimen. Juan Fernandez Buelga photo.
Note: La Viesca Mine has been worked as an open pit and underground mine. It is inside of La Collada mining area. It usually produces from very light to very dark blue – violet coloured crystals. Purple colour is uncommon. Blues with a hint of green are scarce. Small colourless crystals are common, but large ones are quite uncommon. Highly saturated light blue crystals are rare.
The colour violet. Source Wikipedia. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple Saturation scale. Source: http://www.digital-intermediate.co.uk – See: http://www.digital-intermediate.co.uk/colour/colourbasics.htmIncolore or very pale blue coloured fluorites are common in La Viesca. Juan Fernandez Buelga photo and specimen.Fine saturated light blue phantoms inside a light blue crystal. Uncommon. Note the outer dark blue phantom. Juan Fernandez Buelga photo and specimen.Intense blue coloured fluorite crystal from La Viesca. Juan Fernandez Buelga photo and specimen.There are numerous color zones within the crystals of this rare fluorite: starting with light violet, dark violet, and then light blue. Red and yellow areas due to inclusions. La Viesca, La Collada. Juan Fernandez Buelga photo and specimen.Highly saturated medium blue with a hint of green. Note the blue phantom. La Viesca. Juan Fernandez Buelga photo and specimen.Saturated light to medium blue with a hint of green. Note the blue phamton with different intensity zones. Juan Fernandez Buelga photo and specimen.
2- Berbes mining area. Blue, violet and purple fluorite crystals, being the last probably the rarest, although pure blue is not common either. As a general and easy rule I could say that the closer to the red spectrum the rarer it is. Berbes area tends to the red spectrum (purple) much more than La Collada.
Zoned fluorite crystals in Berbes are common, but to find two different colours in the same crystal is unusual. Let me explain: You can find light purple crystals with a medium or dark purple phantom. The same stands for violet or blue. But to find a blue crystal with a purple or violet phantom is uncommon.
Intense violet colour. Berbes. Juan Fernandez Buelga photo and specimen.Highly saturated violet colour. Rare. Juan Fernandez Buelga photo and specimen.Purple fluorite from Berbes. Fernandez Buelga Mineral Collection. Carlos Casariego photo.Purple fluorite, close to pink colour. Note the finer phantoms of the same colour. Fernandez Buelga Mineral Collection. Carlos Casariego photo.
3- La Moscona Mine. Almost all fluorites from this underground mine are yellow. Ranging from pale and greyish yellow to honey coloured or extremely vivid yellow, being probably this last one the rarest among the yellows. Rarely, you can also find dark blue (with more or less violet – purple component)) and strong red.
Average yellow and rare red areas. La Moscona Mine. Juan Fernandez Buelga photo and specimen.Rare combination of highly saturated dark violet and yellow. La Moscona Mine. Juan Fernandez Buelga photo and specimen.
Usually zoned fluorite crystals in La Moscona Mine show different shades of yellow – honey colour. Much more rare are specimens showing reddish phantoms, being the rarest the blue – yellow phantoms.
Yellow and honey coloured fluorite cluster from La Moscona Mine. Juan Fernandez Buelga photo and specimen.
Note: Villabona Mine is a different fluorspar mine near Moscona Mine. Based on the specimens I would say that both mines operate the same fluorspar deposit. There are only around five kilometres between the entrance of the two mines. Specimens from these two localities are very difficult to distinguish. We could say that fluorite crystals from La Moscona Mine usually tend to warmer yellows (honey, reddish), whereas Villabona tend to cooler yellows (very light hints of green).
As I mentioned before, to differentiate fluorite specimens from La Moscona and Villabona is a very difficult task, even for experts! As a very personal note, I would say that is imposible to differenciate specimens from one and other locality as a whole! You can spot specimens from one and the other, based on famous pockets for example, but everyone will fail sooner or later.
As you can see the colour of this fluorite from Villabona Mine is the same as many other specimens in Moscona Mine. However the calcites of this sample are rare. Juan Fernandez Buelga photo and specimen.
4- Emilio Mine. The most common colour in this underground mine is the lack of colour! Usually greyish and sometimes gorgeous water clear fluorite crystals. Light blue is not uncommon, being dark blue quite uncommon, but not rare in some areas of the mine. As a general rule for this mine: colours are light.
Gorgeous Emilio Mine specimen showing the characteristic grey colour and a outer water clear phantom, very difficult to appreciate in the photo. Note the bitumen inclusions all over the specimen, between the grey and water clear crystallization phases. Juan Fernandez Buelga photo and specimen.
Note: Jaimina Mine is a fluorspar underground mine very near Emilio Mine. Indeed one connects or almost connects with the other, although mine entrances are two kilometres away from each other. To distinguish between fluorite specimens from Jaimina and Emilio is practically impossible. The same “La Moscona – Villabona issue” here. Of course, you can distinguish pockets but not the specimens from either locality as a whole. As a very general and unprecise opinion, fluorite pockets in Jaimina tend to warmer blues, whereas Emilio tend to cooler blues. Could this be due to Jaimina being closer to Berbes than Emilio?
I hope you enjoyed this post. If you have any comments, ideas or suggestions please feel free to send me an email.
New photos will be added to this post in a near future. Stay tuned and sign up with us in our home page. www.spanishminerals.com
Juan Fernandez Buelga
Many of the fluorspar mines of Asturias are closed, being others active. Mineral collecting in them is forbidden by the mining companies which operate the mines and the Spanish law.
An small new find with with dark green bluish quartz crystals was found in the famous Panasqueira Mines during late 2013.
Large green bluish quartz crystal with calcite found at the Panasqueira Mine. Size: 9.5 x 8 x 7.5 cm. Fernandez Buelga Mineral Collection specimen. Juan Fernandez Buelga photo.
Panasqueira is well known for its superb colorless and trasparent quartz crystals (See article about the Panasqueira Mines in the Mineralogical Record Vol.45, 1 by Jordi Fabre and Carles Curto).
Well crystallized inclusions are not rare (see photo below) but coloured crystals are a novelty from this mine. At the moment it is not known which mineral causes this nice green bluish colour.
Well formed arsenopyrite crystals included by colorless quartz. Panasqueira Mine, Portugal. Juan Fernandez Buelga photo.Detail of a green bluish quartz crystal with other less included sidecar crystals. FOV 2 cm. Juan Fernandez Buelga photo.
The collected specimens are associated with two different generations of what it seems to be calcite. Some of them present colorless apatite crystals and very minor sulfides.
This one shows an special intense blue- green color plus minor calcite crystals. 4.3 x 4 x 2.5 cm. Spanish Minerals specimen. Juan Fernandez Buelga photo.
New Spanish Minerals update with 18 nice mineral specimens from different spanish localities. Mainly specimens from the northern areas of Spain but you will find a few mineral specimens from the south and central Spain. Enjoy!
Several localities of Asturias, Spain:
A few fluorites with barite or calcite from the famous Emilio Mine.
La Moscona Mine specimens. Including a rare dark blue one with blue and yellow phantoms in some of its crystals, etc.
La Viesca, La Collada dark blue and ligh blue specimens.
Fluorite specimens from Corta la Sirena, La Collada de Atras. Including one cabinet size specimen featuring the uncommon green coloured crystals.
A limonite ps. of goethite from Trinidad Mine, Malaga.
