TERRIUM — A mineralogy cabinet

Piromorfita

Piromorfita is a mineral with formula Pb₅(PO₄)₃Cl, in the Fosfatos group. This specimen comes from Mina San Andrés, Espiel, Córdoba, Andalucía, España and joined the Terrium collection in 1980.

Piromorfita from Mina San Andrés, Espiel, Córdoba, Andalucía, España — Terrium

Description

Green nest-shaped piece. The interior is fully lined with vivid grass-green pyromorphite crystals, slender and elongated, pointing towards the centre. They show sharp terminations and an unusually spiky, bristling texture, distinct from the more usual habit at San Andrés, where crystals commonly occur as small aragonite-like prisms less than 0.5 cm. At one end there is a prominent translucent cerussite crystal.

History of this specimen

I know this piece was taken from the great geode by Francisco Moreno, known as Paquito "El Malagueño", and it was forever christened with the phrase: "You can go now and leave all the material here". The story goes that one night in the late 80s Paquito went into San Andrés and began extracting very good pieces without stopping. In that situation the usual thing was to take a few and get out quickly, but that night—green-gold fever—he kept going, piling material on the floor to pick up later. As he was leaving, the mine owner appeared with several others from Córdoba. They said that phrase, and there was no arguing. Everything stayed there. Everything? Well, the few specimens already in his rucksack went unnoticed and got away, but the rest he had to leave. This is one of those rucksack pieces that managed to escape.

About Piromorfita

Pyromorphite is a lead chlorophosphate that crystallises in the hexagonal system and forms in the oxidation zone of galena deposits. Its colours range from green to brown, depending on impurities and conditions of formation. Specimens from San Andrés rank among the most celebrated worldwide for their colour, lustre and crystals.

About the locality

The San Andrés mine, in Villaviciosa de Córdoba, is one of the classic pyromorphite localities worldwide. It produced mainly lead and baryte, and this was largely due to a German engineer, the mine foreman, who—whenever a pyromorphite geode appeared—ordered work to stop so he could extract it personally, aware of its exceptional value. Word of this spread and attracted many young collectors in the 80s, who came to the mine knowing they could find extraordinary specimens. When this piece left the mine, the great geode was already known as an extremely dangerous place, with a real risk of collapse that could leave anyone buried forever. That collapse finally occurred, with no fatalities, in 89.

Technical data

Catalogue No.
0242
Composition
Pb₅(PO₄)₃Cl
Name
Piromorfita
Group
Fosfatos
Category
Cupidium
Matrix
Matriz terrosa ocre
Associations
cerusita
Mine
Mina San Andrés
District / Municipality
Espiel
Province
Córdoba
Region
Andalucía
Country
España
Size (cm)
5.5 x 4 x 3
Acquired
1980
Ex-collection
Francisco Moreno «Paquito El Malagueño» → Diego Navarro
Etymology
From the Greek "pyro" (fire) and "morphé" (form), for changing colour on heating.
Quality
Notable
Value trend
Estable

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