FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[supertxango]

"Ampliación a Victoria" pyrite mine-quarry is based in Sierra de Alcarama mounting range and approximately four kilometers near Navajún town. Specimens from this quarry are well-known and appreciated internationally, being this locality an important reference in the Spanish mineralogy.

Pyrites from this quarry are found disseminated between clay levels that belongs to the Cretacic period (Weald). With pyrite also can be found gypsum, chlorite and manganese oxide specimens, but none of them with a real value for collectors.

Most of the pyrite crystals are cubes, rarely do they appear in other forms and in a few cases with bevelled edges. It´s possible to find floater crystals and in matrix, made from single cubic crystals or grouped in two or more elements creating nice sculptures. Crystal faces are smooth or with the typical pyrite striation. In 2011 were found crystals with an unusual flattened morphology which is quite uncommon for this locality.

[supertxango]

Two more unusual pyrite crystals

[Don Lum]

Juan,

Those are fascinating specimens. Thanks for sharing them.

Don

[Roger Warin]

Fabulous pictures of amazing pyrite specimens.
Thank you.
Roger.

[supertxango]

Hi,

Thank you very much for your comments. They make me proud.

Now that we have implemented the language translator in FMF and you can translate tetxs, here you have a selection of topics in the Spanish Forum about Navajun. I hope you enjoy them.

Crónica de una visita a Navajún, pasando por la Mina Petra (Soria) - (30)
Lámina envolvente de piritas de Navajún
Cubos reconstruidos
Excursión a Navajún
¡Rumbo a Navajún!

Regards,

Juan H

[Mark Ost]

The la Rioja pyrites are fine. I have several, but as Jordi knows; my favorite Rioja is a 2007 Marqués de Riscal Grand reserve! I'd send a picture but I can't find the camera after examining the bottle!

[supertxango]

Good selection Mark! For sure, La Rioja is also also good known for this other kind of specimens. But be careful if you examine more than two of them at the same time ;-)

[supertxango]

Some other mineral specimens from Navajun at FMF Galleries.

Navajun at Galería FMF
Navajun at FMF Galery

Regards,

Juan H

[Carles Millan]

Another typical pyrite from Navajún. More shots of the same specimen taken from other positions are available here.

[Mark Ost]

These are so perfect it reminds me of the opening scene in 2001 A Space Odyssey

[supertxango]

Hi Carles,

Really a nice specimen from Navajún. Amazing mirror-like faces crystals intergrown.

Regards,

Juan H

[Carles Millan]

To Mark Ost and Juan H (supertxango):

Many thanks for your kind words. I'm very glad you like it.

[David]

The pyrites from Navajun are amazing, many people have asked me if they aren't man-made.
This is one piece I like for the perfect cubic crystal and the mirror effect. In fact you can actually see the sky reflecting on the crystal (it was a rather cloudy day unfortunately)
But Spanish mines are not the only ones to produce perfect cubes of pyrite.

[David]

I will show you a couple of photos of Romanian cubic pyrites. Unlike the pyrites of Navajun, you can notice the quartz matrix.

[David]

Both pictures of Romanian pyrites come from the Museum of Mineralogy in Baia Mare, Maramures.