TERRIUM — A mineralogy cabinet

Piromorfita

Piromorfita is a mineral with formula Pb₅(PO₄)₃Cl. This specimen comes from Mina San Andrés / Geoda del Tarta, Espiel, Córdoba, Andalucía, España.

Piromorfita from Mina San Andrés / Geoda del Tarta, Espiel, Córdoba, Andalucía, España — Terrium

Description

Compact aggregate of pyromorphite crystals, with growth in all directions. Forms a dense, tight knot with no bare patches. The intense green typical of the better San Andrés pyromorphites.

History of this specimen

A small piece collected by Juan Manuel "El Tarta" himself at the San Andrés mine, soon after an episode he often told. I recount it as he did: working underground he was dazed by carbide-lamp fumes and had to be pulled out by Carlos Pareja and Paquito "El Malagueño". Afterwards he said that, in that state, he had spoken with a snake urging him to keep picking further ahead. He returned, kept in that direction and ended up finding the large pocket that would bear his name. From there came some of the first outstanding San Andrés pyromorphites, already valued in the early 1980s. That cavity, known among the miners as the "Bolsada de El Tarta", continued to yield fine pieces until it collapsed in 1989. This story belongs to the deposit’s first great phase and precedes that of the celebrated "túnel metálico" of Carlos Pareja, Miguel Séneca and the Peña brothers.

About Piromorfita

Lead chlorophosphate. The early San Andrés phases produced more rugged pieces, with very rich greens and strong character. Although generally somewhat less perfect than the later finds by Carlos Pareja and others, that untamed crystal habit became an asset in classic Iberian collecting.

About the locality

San Andrés, located in Cerro del Álamo in Villaviciosa de Córdoba, is one of the world's great classic pyromorphite deposits. Lead and barite were primarily mined there, and the finest pyromorphite geodes were recognized very early on for their exceptional quality; the first person to realize this was the mine director, who kept them for himself (although Joaquim Folch and a few others, such as Fabre, did pay attention to it, back then there was little national interest in collecting). Later came the two golden eras: from 1986 to 1989, when torrential rains collapsed the gallery, and then starting in 1997 with the use of a telescopic tunnel that once again provided access to specimens of extraordinary quality.

Technical data

Catalogue No.
0382
Composition
Pb₅(PO₄)₃Cl
Name
Piromorfita
Category
Cupidium
Mine
Mina San Andrés / Geoda del Tarta
District / Municipality
Espiel
Province
Córdoba
Region
Andalucía
Country
España
Size (cm)
2.5 x 2.5 x 2
Weight
23.6 g
Ex-collection
Juan Manuel «El Tarta» > Diego Navarro
Etymology
Its name combines the Greek words "pyr", fire, and "morphé", form: on cooling, the molten mineral takes on crystalline shapes again.
Quality
Muy buena
Value trend
Al alza

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