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James Catmur
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Joined: 14 Sep 2006
Posts: 1396
Location: Cambridge
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 Posted: Sep 21, 2021 08:00 Post subject: Re: Very nice Amethyst in the Railroad Works in North of Spain |
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Hans
We have asked for information /help on the Spanish FMF. Let's see if anyone can help you.
James
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Hans Cremers
Joined: 15 Sep 2021
Posts: 7
Location: Boxmeer
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| Posted: Sep 21, 2021 09:15 Post subject: Re: Very nice Amethyst in the Railroad Works in North of Spain |
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Hi James,
Thank you so much, this is much appreciated.
Hopefully there is some more information available among local collectors. :-)
Best regards,
Hans
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heat
Joined: 17 May 2021
Posts: 3
Location: Barcelona
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| Posted: Sep 21, 2021 12:37 Post subject: Re: Very nice Amethyst in the Railroad Works in North of Spain |
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Hi Hans.
You can go to the quarry on Sundays (I don't know if on Saturdays as well). The exploitation is stopped and the security guard will let you search inside if you say so politely. It is very difficult to find good specimens today in this quarry, but not impossible. The good area of the quarry is the eastern half. Very good pieces have come out in the surrounding forests in recent years. If you have experience in similar terrain, for amethysts, I would go to the forests of the west of Sils and the southwest of Riudarenes. In Santa Coloma forest my friends have found good pieces of smoky and microclines. You can also try the Can Suria quarry (south of Massabé) and the AVE quarry. You can find all 3 in mindat.
It is an area very worked by fans and it can be exasperating. It requires patience and luck.
translated with google
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James Catmur
Site Admin
Joined: 14 Sep 2006
Posts: 1396
Location: Cambridge
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James Catmur
Site Admin
Joined: 14 Sep 2006
Posts: 1396
Location: Cambridge
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| Posted: Sep 21, 2021 14:00 Post subject: Re: Very nice Amethyst in the Railroad Works in North of Spain |
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And these were from the AVE quarry - 'AVE' means high-speed train in Spanish
https://mti-minas-catalunya.blogspot.com/2011/05/cantera-trabajos-del-ave.html
I worked on the line as it crossed the mountains. In fact my avatar is a photo of me standing next to the portal for the main tunnel. The line was finished years ago
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Hans Cremers
Joined: 15 Sep 2021
Posts: 7
Location: Boxmeer
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| Posted: Sep 22, 2021 03:22 Post subject: Re: Very nice Amethyst in the Railroad Works in North of Spain |
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Hi James and heat,
Thank you both, these are definitely good leads to start off from. Too bad my Spanish is not that good.
Our group has some experience searching for quartz in forest locations in Belgium, Germany and Switzerland.
However, the surrounding rock seems very different. It is probably just a matter of trying and some good luck ;-)
Thanks again!
P.S. We'll probably be in the area on saturday 23th of Oktober. If one of you lives close to the area and has some nice pieces to show, maybe it is interesting to meet up. It is always nice to meet fellow collectors and share stories ;-)
Kind regards,
Hans
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heat
Joined: 17 May 2021
Posts: 3
Location: Barcelona
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| Posted: Sep 22, 2021 04:50 Post subject: Re: Very nice Amethyst in the Railroad Works in North of Spain |
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Hi Hans.
The area is 99% "decomposed granite" and 1% granite. Ignore the quartz veins. You have to find small pegmatites of quartz, feldspar and muscovite (photo). I have a good friend who has a great collection of amethysts from those forests but he recently moved to Chamonix.
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James Catmur
Site Admin
Joined: 14 Sep 2006
Posts: 1396
Location: Cambridge
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James Catmur
Site Admin
Joined: 14 Sep 2006
Posts: 1396
Location: Cambridge
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| Posted: Sep 28, 2021 05:56 Post subject: Re: Very nice Amethyst in the Railroad Works in North of Spain |
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Quick summary (my translation):
"The best quartz is found in the Masabe/CanSúria/Ave quarries.
They will not let you in the first, the second will let you in but there is not much left, the third is now protected so you must not collect there.
The area around the C-35 highways is good, near the villages of Bescanó, Susqueda, St Marti Sacalm, Arbúcies, Osor, Vidreres, Riudarenes, Viladrau. The last two are of more interest. Look for granite/basalt not limestone."
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Hans Cremers
Joined: 15 Sep 2021
Posts: 7
Location: Boxmeer
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| Posted: Sep 29, 2021 05:21 Post subject: Re: Very nice Amethyst in the Railroad Works in North of Spain |
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Hi James,
Thank you for this additional info. This definetely gives us some more useful directions.
Kind regards,
Hans
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heat
Joined: 17 May 2021
Posts: 3
Location: Barcelona
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| Posted: Oct 02, 2021 05:33 Post subject: Re: Very nice Amethyst in the Railroad Works in North of Spain |
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Hi.
The boy they are talking about is my friend who was telling you (the one from Chamonix) and his amethysts are not from quarries. I can't say where they're from out of respect for him.
Susqueda, St Marti Sacalm, Arbúcies, Osor, Viladrau are protected areas. It is also mushroom season and there are many people.
Ignore the Basalt, focus on the pegmatites like the photos.
In the Massabe quarry with the permission of the guard you can enter. In the AVE quarry you can go free. In the Can Suria quarry it is an unguarded and "abandoned" private property.
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Hans Cremers
Joined: 15 Sep 2021
Posts: 7
Location: Boxmeer
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| Posted: Oct 02, 2021 15:04 Post subject: Re: Very nice Amethyst in the Railroad Works in North of Spain |
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Hi Heat,
Thank you for the additional info. We hope to share some nice finds from one of these locations later. :-)
Kind regards,
Hans
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Aniol Soler
Joined: 06 Oct 2021
Posts: 5
Location: Olot
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| Posted: Oct 06, 2021 17:28 Post subject: Re: Very nice Amethyst in the Railroad Works in North of Spain |
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| Hans Cremers wrote: | Dear James,
Thank you for your advice. Of course we will ask the quarry owner for permission before entering.
I was just wondering if anyone had some more up-to-date information about this locality, or possibly other less well known localities in the area.
All tips and advice are welcome. :-)
Kind regards,
Hans |
Hi Hans,
Is my first time at English forum, hope you understand me.
Well, im writing you cause today I noticed you where searching info about locations in Catalan regions, specifically about Sils and surroundings I guess, where Massabé and AVE quarries were located. I have to say about them, the works there are unfortunately almost stopped by now as I seen some others commented before. Also the area where the most famous ones where found was covered in ground and now is a restricted area in terms of digging there, like natural space. I also called before at Massabé quarry and they said me they aren't allowing "anymore" -they said- the visits, kinda forbidden, but if you like it I can try calling for you see what they say. Anyway here is their number 972178008.
By the other hand at Can Súria, where found more recent samples of crystals of amethyst and milky quartz, as well said before the user "heat", and shown in photos, there they grow at pegmatites on granite almost, which is hard to dig by hand as hell I must advice. I went a few times before, ever calling previously ( 972 85 36 34 ) at the business ho operate there which is "Arids Guixeras SL". They was pretty kind and offered me both to call when boss was there, cause maybe he would like to make us a visit ( I guess the same will go for you if you call them, or as I said, I could do it for you).
Also, if you here to rockhounding and so, I would like to meet to see what you do if you can show me some tips, cause I'm just a novice in this area by now. But I also went some good spots here that I could show you maybe ;) By now, this Forum doesn't let me send private message till 24 lapse to verify my account or something like that, but after I'll try.
I know it past a little since Jordi wrote the "help request" post at Spanish forum, so I hope if you already went there or here, theres still time to know each other and learn a bit. I also can manage to speak in English ( more badly as than I write, cause i didn't practised but i understand it well, I will make a look at this forum which i just discovered to see :P).
Cheers,
Aniol Soler
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