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Fiebre Verde
Joined: 11 Sep 2013
Posts: 942
Location: Paris Area
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Posted: Mar 15, 2019 09:47 Post subject: Re: Collection of Bergur E. Sigurdarson |
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Hi Bergur,
So the mystery is cracked!
There are several references describing the presence of "pearly white" allophane in both emerald belts formed as a result of alteration of albite.
Good find!
Gérard
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Bergur_E_Sigurdarson
Joined: 21 Dec 2017
Posts: 147
Location: Paipa, Colombia
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Posted: Mar 20, 2019 11:48 Post subject: Re: Collection of Bergur E. Sigurdarson |
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Some more recent additions to my collection.
A couple of months ago I found a small piece of shale matrix with some calcite and micro-quartz as well as .... faintly blue fluorites.
Being sold by one of the outside dealers on the little plaza in Bogota. He wasn't sure where it was from... but just looking at the piece I was almost sure it was Colombian.
I just had never heard of blue fluorite here.
Then later I went on a trip to the western emerald belt and in Santa Barbara, the little village north of Coscuez, a collector had a few loose pieces of blue fluorite on display. He very generously gave me one... a very complete crystal, tho without matrix.
He was very sure of it's origin, Florian, Santander.
The last of the little blues I have now is very faint, possibly from exposure to light.
Again a street vendor in Bogota, so no location, and sadly no matrix (I'm still quite convinced it's Colombian)
On my trip to the western belt I also spoke to a collector and vendor in Muzo who has a stake in a mine in Peñas Blancas (the one I spent a whole day inside) who told me that very occationally they did find blueish fluorites up there.
I have now seen not just the typical transparent with green stripe fluorites here, but a few slightly pink, some still with the green strip near the corners. A very damaged piece I could not buy that was quite intensely pink. The light blues as well as some really nice little very clear and gemmy ones.
Looking forward to exploring what else is hidden in this country :-)
Mineral: | Fluorite, Calcite, Quartz |
Locality: | Colombia | |
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Dimensions: | 49x44x23mm |
Description: |
Largest XL appx 6mm each side |
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21199 Time(s) |
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Mineral: | Fluorite |
Locality: | Colombia | |
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Dimensions: | 17x17x13mm |
Description: |
Florian, Santander, Colombia |
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21206 Time(s) |
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Mineral: | Fluorite |
Locality: | Colombia | |
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Dimensions: | 30x22x24mm |
Description: |
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21195 Time(s) |
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Bergur_E_Sigurdarson
Joined: 21 Dec 2017
Posts: 147
Location: Paipa, Colombia
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Posted: Mar 20, 2019 17:38 Post subject: Re: Collection of Bergur E. Sigurdarson |
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Having browsed through most of the Colombian information available on Mindat, I've become more and more interested in getting specimens of what comes out of this country.
This is one of the most recent, a light blue sapphire.
Of the very few found here, most are very damaged by river tumbling and have a satin finish. But occationally some shinier ones are found. Not sure if it's from looking further up the river area or what.
The area might have quite a bit of corundum but the main reason, it seems, for so little material to come out of it, is that there are still guerrilla and autodefensas fighting there.
Mineral: | Corundum (variety sapphire) |
Locality: | Mayo River, Municipio Mercaderes, Sur Province, Cauca Department, Colombia | |
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Dimensions: | 5x6x3mm |
Description: |
Slight damages on edges and one sadly been sanded lightly by a former owner, possibly in preparation for cutting. |
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21131 Time(s) |
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Bergur_E_Sigurdarson
Joined: 21 Dec 2017
Posts: 147
Location: Paipa, Colombia
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Posted: Dec 23, 2019 16:27 Post subject: Collection of Bergur E. Sigurdarson |
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I'm back in Colombia... since the beginning of December.
Might be staying for quite some while this trip.
Already got a few nice new pieces and have my camera with me.
First off, here is an awesome elongated and twisted quartz crystal with side-growths that are almost missing two sides of the usual hexagonal shape, from Boyaca.
(most likely in the area close to Peñas Blancas... even possibly across into Santander as it's quite close by - exact locality not given by seller, Inocencio Nuñes of Muzo)
Mineral: | Quartz |
Locality: | Boyacá Department, Colombia | |
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Dimensions: | 17,2 x 4,9 x 3,8 cm |
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20468 Time(s) |
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Bergur_E_Sigurdarson
Joined: 21 Dec 2017
Posts: 147
Location: Paipa, Colombia
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Posted: Dec 23, 2019 16:42 Post subject: Collection of Bergur E. Sigurdarson |
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Although I have seen pieces of greenish Calcite here in Colombia, they have not been in the classic shape.
Most have been incomplete and of a more grassy green hue and with no sign of matrix.
Recently I've seen a few that are attributed to a mine "near Otanche"
...they are clearly coming from veins in black shale and some have a bit attached to their backs, and some are nicely twinned in some way.
I wonder if they are from the Ormicol, that is situated just by the entrance to Otanche, where early this year some nice Siderite/Dolomite/Quartz/micro-Pyrite combos (and even a bit of Sphalerite) came out of?
Here are two of my samples of this "new" greenish Calcite (almost blue-green hue)
Mineral: | Calcite |
Locality: | Otanche, Occidente Province, Boyacá Department, Colombia | |
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Dimensions: | 10,2 x 6,9 x 1,8 cm |
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20468 Time(s) |
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Mineral: | Calcite |
Locality: | Otanche, Occidente Province, Boyacá Department, Colombia | |
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Dimensions: | 3,8 x 2,4 x 2,4 cm |
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20481 Time(s) |
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Bergur_E_Sigurdarson
Joined: 21 Dec 2017
Posts: 147
Location: Paipa, Colombia
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Posted: Jan 20, 2020 17:52 Post subject: Re: Collection of Bergur E. Sigurdarson |
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I got this large quartz a couple of weeks ago, it has some damage (which is common here, especially when from the street sellers).
It has micro-inclusions of epidote and although an exact locality is missing, I do know it comes from Cauca-department.
The whole crystal is milky, but in a greenish-blue colour and because of it's size I'm not too bothered by the slight damage.
Mineral: | Quartz, Epidote |
Locality: | Cauca Department, Colombia | |
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Dimensions: | 17,6 x 7,4 x 5,6 cm |
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20214 Time(s) |
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Mineral: | Quartz, Epidote |
Locality: | Cauca Department, Colombia | |
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Dimensions: | 17,6 x 7,4 x 5,6 cm |
Description: |
Macro of Epidotes inside the crystal. No more than 2mm at most. |
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20218 Time(s) |
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Tobi
Site Admin
Joined: 07 Apr 2009
Posts: 4112
Location: Germany
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Posted: Jan 21, 2020 03:29 Post subject: Re: Collection of Bergur E. Sigurdarson |
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Very impressive quartz with wonderful inclusions, I really like it :-)
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Bergur_E_Sigurdarson
Joined: 21 Dec 2017
Posts: 147
Location: Paipa, Colombia
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Posted: Jun 17, 2020 15:26 Post subject: Re: Collection of Bergur E. Sigurdarson |
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A wonderful cluster of Euclase, currently the best I own.
Displaying good colour for Vega de San Juan.
Next to no damages (haven't looked with loupe, but neither my eyes nor my macro lens see any).
A couple of internal cleavages possibly from using explosives in extraction - but fortunately the crystals remain complete.
Acquired around Newyears 2020.... from a find in the end of 2019.
Mineral: | Euclase |
Locality: | Gachalá mining district, Vega de San Juan Mine, Municipio Gachalá, Eastern Emerald Belt, Cundinamarca Department, Colombia | |
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Dimensions: | 3,0 x 3,2 x 2,8 cm |
Description: |
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16814 Time(s) |
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Firmo Espinar
Joined: 05 Apr 2017
Posts: 758
Location: Medellín, Colombia.
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Posted: Jun 19, 2020 08:53 Post subject: Re: Collection of Bergur E. Sigurdarson |
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Hi Bergur.
Nice Euclase.
A group with more crystals than usually i´ve seen.
Regards.
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Fiebre Verde
Joined: 11 Sep 2013
Posts: 942
Location: Paris Area
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Posted: Jun 19, 2020 09:10 Post subject: Re: Collection of Bergur E. Sigurdarson |
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Blue fireworks!
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Bergur_E_Sigurdarson
Joined: 21 Dec 2017
Posts: 147
Location: Paipa, Colombia
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Posted: Jun 22, 2020 11:36 Post subject: Collection of Bergur E. Sigurdarson |
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Although it's not very large and has some minor imperfections, this is one of my favourite Pyrite crystals as it has wonderfully complex faces.
Mineral: | Pyrite |
Locality: | Chivor mining district, Municipio Chivor, Eastern Emerald Belt, Boyacá Department, Colombia | |
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Dimensions: | Appx. 2,5 x 1,5 x 1,5 cm |
Description: |
Didn't have a caliper to get exact size, so there is a couple mm margin of error. |
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16519 Time(s) |
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Bergur_E_Sigurdarson
Joined: 21 Dec 2017
Posts: 147
Location: Paipa, Colombia
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Posted: Jun 22, 2020 12:00 Post subject: Collection of Bergur E. Sigurdarson |
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A large plate of Dolomite, with minor Calcites and specs of Pyrite, from Chivor.
Most of these get very damaged in extraction as the miners focus almost solely on finding "green" (Emerald, but of course).
Colour has hints of blue in the gray, which is rather unusual for the Eastern Belt.
All my Colombian Dolomites that are blue come from the West, except this one (altho they are a much more intense blue).
Mineral: | Dolomite, Calcite, Pyrite |
Locality: | Chivor mining district, Municipio Chivor, Eastern Emerald Belt, Boyacá Department, Colombia | |
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Dimensions: | 19 x 11 x 8 cm |
Description: |
Largest single xl appx. 3,4 x 1,8 x 2,1 cm |
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16540 Time(s) |
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Fiebre Verde
Joined: 11 Sep 2013
Posts: 942
Location: Paris Area
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Posted: Jun 22, 2020 12:23 Post subject: Re: Collection of Bergur E. Sigurdarson |
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Not a common specimen in that area.
Any patches of host rock on the opposite side?
Gérard
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Bergur_E_Sigurdarson
Joined: 21 Dec 2017
Posts: 147
Location: Paipa, Colombia
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Posted: Jun 22, 2020 12:26 Post subject: Re: Collection of Bergur E. Sigurdarson |
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Yes, the Dolomites sit on a light grey matrix :-)
Fiebre Verde wrote: | Not a common specimen in that area.
Any patches of host rock on the opposite side?
Gérard |
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Fiebre Verde
Joined: 11 Sep 2013
Posts: 942
Location: Paris Area
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Posted: Jun 22, 2020 12:40 Post subject: Re: Collection of Bergur E. Sigurdarson |
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Bergur_E_Sigurdarson wrote: | Yes, the Dolomites sit on a light grey matrix :-) |
Crumbly rock?
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Bergur_E_Sigurdarson
Joined: 21 Dec 2017
Posts: 147
Location: Paipa, Colombia
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Posted: Jun 22, 2020 12:54 Post subject: Re: Collection of Bergur E. Sigurdarson |
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Nope, the actual matrix parts are quite solid.
Attached a half-decent phone-cam picture to show the back.
Fiebre Verde wrote: | Crumbly rock? |
Mineral: | Dolomite, Calcite, Pyrite |
Locality: | Chivor mining district, Municipio Chivor, Eastern Emerald Belt, Boyacá Department, Colombia | |
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Dimensions: | 19 x 11 x 8 cm |
Description: |
Back of previously posted specimen. |
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16496 Time(s) |
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Fiebre Verde
Joined: 11 Sep 2013
Posts: 942
Location: Paris Area
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Posted: Jun 23, 2020 02:10 Post subject: Re: Collection of Bergur E. Sigurdarson |
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Fiebre Verde wrote: | Bergur_E_Sigurdarson wrote: | Yes, the Dolomites sit on a light grey matrix :-)
Crumbly rock? |
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On the matrix side you have a nice sample of a brecciated rock unit made up of fragments of whitish albitites (resulting from the albitization of the black shales) cemented by carbonates and pyrite.
Typical from the Chivor area.
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Bergur_E_Sigurdarson
Joined: 21 Dec 2017
Posts: 147
Location: Paipa, Colombia
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Posted: Jun 25, 2020 15:16 Post subject: Collection of Bergur E. Sigurdarson |
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A cute quartz cluster from Santander, Colombia.
I'm not 100% on whether it's from La Belleza or up the valley La Playa (I'm guessing they're the same "municipio").
My sources tell me there are little workings all along the river there and hard to tell from which they come each time (the usual secrecy in Colombia doesn't help).
I got this with a couple more pieces, all purportedly from the same place, but they are just distinct enough that I would think they would come from that area, but just not the same little working.
Mineral: | Quartz |
Locality: | Municipio La Belleza, Vélez Province, Santander Department, Colombia | |
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Dimensions: | 9,9 x 5,8 x 4,3 cm |
Description: |
Almost no matrix on back, but remnants of what looks like degraded feldspar (pinkish) |
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16161 Time(s) |
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Tobi
Site Admin
Joined: 07 Apr 2009
Posts: 4112
Location: Germany
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Posted: Jun 29, 2020 05:44 Post subject: Re: Collection of Bergur E. Sigurdarson |
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Outstanding quartz specimen!
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Bergur_E_Sigurdarson
Joined: 21 Dec 2017
Posts: 147
Location: Paipa, Colombia
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Posted: Jul 02, 2020 15:10 Post subject: Collection of Bergur E. Sigurdarson |
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Quite large crystal of Euclase, with several smaller ones in matrix.
Although the piece seems to have suffered a bit in the ground or extraction, the main crystal has only that missing piece on top right.
The bottom half of the crystal is very crumbly and a couple of cleavege lines run up it.
Still a very good piece as I've not seen many of this size.
Not perfectly sure about the composition of the matrix, but seems to mostly be some deteriorated carbonates (calcite and/or dolomite?) and on the back there is an eroded pyrite crystal.
Mineral: | Euclase |
Locality: | Gachalá mining district, Vega de San Juan Mine, Municipio Gachalá, Eastern Emerald Belt, Cundinamarca Department, Colombia | |
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Dimensions: | 3,4H x 5,7W x 4,2D cm |
Description: |
Main xl is appx.: 3,4H x 2,5W x 1,6D cm |
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15926 Time(s) |
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