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[bugrock]

Below pictured is a calcite specimen from Villabona, Spain offered on an online auction (that auction is now closed). As noted by the seller it is very similar to sceptered calcites from the Blackstone Mine, Shullsburg, Wisconsin and remarkably so. I am wondering if others on this forum have knowledge of this Spanish occurrence.

If so, it seems remarkable that calcite can have such this peculiar habit in two distant locations and further, is this habit known from any other locations in the world? Up to now I thought this was an icon of the Upper Mississippi Valley Lead/Zinc district and since I grew up in Wisconsin I considered the calcite scepters unique locality pieces.


Appreciate any thoughts or comments.

[James Catmur]

These are classic calcite forms from the Moscona Mine, Solis, Asturias Spain. I have even had the chance, while on a mine visit, to collect from a pocket that was full of such scepters. Just note that there is also a locality called the Villabona Mine, but I have only seen these from the Moscona Mine

I am not aware of other localities that produce similar specimens, but I guess others may be able to help on this.

[Carles Curto]

James has (absolutely) the reason. Villabona is a village relatively near to Solís, there exist some Fluorite samples from there, but the significative specimens are from Moscona Mine (Solís).
Concretely, this kind of Calcite is usual and typical from Moscona Mine: a first generation scalenohedron recrystalized by flat small rhombohedron on its faces and a termination with a crystal showing the flat rombohedron with minor prism. The color of the Calcite varies within the white and the deep yellow.

[John S. White]

I have seen similar scepter calcites from China in recent years.

[bugrock]

Thanks for your replies. Are the Spanish scepters then relatively common on the market?
Do they vary in size?

For Shullsburg, Wisconsin there is considerable variation in quality and size and of course price but they are no longer being collected as far as I know and not easily found on the market.