FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[Joan R.]

Hi,

I believe that it is a great idea to save old stories about minerals and mineralogy anecdotes.

I didn’t have the pleasure to know Mr Joaquim Folch personally, but I knew Mr Joaquim Mollfulleda. You could visit his Museum in Arenys de Mar (close to Barcelona).

One of the histories that I love more is that he was telling us, it was about a big, big, big Eugui's crystallized dolomite that nowadays is shown in the Museu d'Arenys.

He use to tell that every year, in his visits to the Navarra region (Northern Spain, in Euskalerria), he was amusing itself in the garden of an Eugui's house cleaning the grass and powder and insects that were covering an exceptional specimen of dolomite. Again and again, while carefully he was cleaning it, Joaquim was throwing in low voice “insults” towards the house’s owner for having the specimen there, covered of rubbish.

A good day (rather for him and for the mineralogical community) approached to him a man and he asked him with curiosity:
- Can you explain me what are you doing?
To what Joaquim answered him, with the adrenaline flush with skin:
- Take a look! I am cleaning this specimen from Eugui quarry that the inept and careless owner of the house has like an ornamental garden stone.
- And do you like this big rock?
- Certainly sir, it is magnificent.
To what the owner of the house answered him:
- So if you can load it piggyback, it is yours.
Joaquim's face should have been incredible... and 50 kg from Eugui came to Catalunya. Now we enjoy the specimen in his/our Museum.