Piromorfita
Piromorfita is a mineral with formula Pb₅(PO₄)₃Cl, in the Fosfatos group. This specimen comes from El Horcajo, Almodóvar del Campo, Ciudad Real, Castilla-La Mancha, España.
Description
Uniform olive-green thumbnail showing varied crystal habits (from acicular to prismatic) and hexagonal prisms with classic "hopper" terminations.
History of this specimen
These historical early 20th-century specimens are extremely rare and almost impossible to obtain. They originate from a box Miguel Ángel came across and bought from Jordi Fabre back in 2008. The pieces are referenced on Mindat and retain Fabre’s original base and ID label just as originally sold. Following Miguel Ángel’s passing, they passed to Paco, and subsequently through Fran Becerra until this specimen reached me.
About Piromorfita
A lead chlorophosphate of the apatite group formed by alteration in lead deposits. It crystallizes in hexagonal prisms or compact aggregates in green, yellow, and brown tones.
About the locality
El Horcajo is a iconic location in Spanish mineral collecting due to its legendary pyromorphites. Its mines produced lead and silver, hitting a historical record in 1903 by exceeding 13,000 tons of galena concentrate. Taken over in 1909 by the multinational SMMP, mineralogist Salvador Calderón y Arana soon described its pyromorphites in his work Los Minerales de España. By 1911, flooding forced the closure of the main shaft despite the pumps available, beginning a decline that led to the final shutdown in 1963. Today, some pyromorphites can still be hunted in the dumps—small and faded, sure, but it's something.
Technical data
- Catalogue No.
- 0694
- Composition
- Pb₅(PO₄)₃Cl
- Name
- Piromorfita
- Group
- Fosfatos
- Category
- Cupidium
- Mine
- El Horcajo
- District / Municipality
- Almodóvar del Campo
- Province
- Ciudad Real
- Region
- Castilla-La Mancha
- Country
- España
- Size (cm)
- 1.3 x 1.4 0.8
- Weight
- 6.8 g
- Ex-collection
- Jordi Fabre i Fornaguera > Miguel Ángel Amaya > Paco Muñoz Leyva
- Etymology
- Its name derives from the Greek pyr (fire) and morphé (form), referring to the changes the mineral undergoes when heated.
- Quality
- Notable
- Value trend
- Al alza
Related specimens
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- Abernathyita — España
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- Analcima — España
- Analcima — España