WPAN-07/47 - Apatite and quartz on muscovite

Barroca Grande Mine, Panasqueira, near Silvares (Fundao, Portugal)

A thick layer of silvery muscovite plates with crudely crystallized creamy siderite at bottom. The top main surface shows lustrous transparent quartz crystals to about 1 cm. long and tabular hexagonal crystals of lustrous transparent greyish apatite to 1 cm. across. There are a few needles of tourmaline some of them as inclusions in a couple of apatite crystals. Undamaged and very nice.

7x5.2x3.5 - 120 €

WPAN-07/49 - Apatite and tourmaline

Barroca Grande Mine, Panasqueira, near Silvares (Fundao, Portugal)

Slab of matrix with the surface coated by small plates of muscovite on which several crystals and groups of translucent green apatite stand (the largest is 2.3 cm. long as it appears in the picture below). Associated minerals are tiny aggregates of pyrite, a few creamy discs of siderite and numerous needles of tourmaline, many of them crossing through the apatite crystals. The main apatite group is not complete at right at the edge of the specimen, otherwise undamaged.

6.9x6x2.5 - 55 €

WPAN-07/43 - Arsenopyrite

Barroca Grande Mine, Panasqueira, near Silvares (Fundao, Portugal)

Heavy floater cluster of highly lustrous silvery arsenopyrite crystals to about 1.5 cm. long with serrated edges partly coated at bottom by a layer of white calcite. A few nicks here and there but nothing easily visible.

7.3x5x4.3 - 50 €

WPAN-07/45 - Arsenopyrite, siderite and calcite

Barroca Grande Mine, Panasqueira, near Silvares (Fundao, Portugal)

Floater cluster of dull blackened striated arsenopyrite crystals to about 1 cm. long coated at bottom by a layer of opaque white dolomite crystals to 6 mm. across. There are tiny white crystals of calcite on areas of the arsenopyrite as well as a few creamy crystals of siderite to 7 mm. across. Interstingly the siderite crystals are epitaxialy overgrown by lustrous white calcite crystals. Just a few nicks here and there but still an interesting specimen.

9.4x3.3x3 - 45 €

WPAN-07/40 - Cassiterite

Barroca Grande Mine, Panasqueira, near Silvares (Fundao, Portugal)

Small cluster of lustrous opaque black cassiterite crystals to about 5 mm. across with some creamy siderite associated. Some damage at the edges of the specimen, the crystals are quite well.

2.9x2.4x1.9 - 15 €

WPAN-07/41 - Cassiterite and tourmaline

Barroca Grande Mine, Panasqueira, near Silvares (Fundao, Portugal)

Piece of matrix coated at bottom by tiny silvery muscovite plates and at top by areas of greyish apatite crystals to about 2 mm. long. On these there are numerous highly lustrous black crystals and twins of cassiterite to about 5 mm. across showing brown translucency. There are as well areas of tourmaline needles, mainly at bottom, and some creamy siderite crystals. Apart of a small area where some cassiterite is lacking (seen at left at bottom left picture), the specimen is undamaged and is quite interesting.

8.4x6.5x2.5 - 85 €

WPAN-07/39 - Quartz and tourmaline

Barroca Grande Mine, Panasqueira, near Silvares (Fundao, Portugal)

Nearly a floater cluster of lustrous transparent crystals of quartz to 3.3 cm. long almost completely included by black tourmaline needles. Tiny plates of silvery muscovite and tiny crystals of creamy siderite at back as well as numerous needles of tourmaline (brown and transparent with magnification). Undamaged and nice.

4.5x1.5x1.2 - 25 €

WPAN-07/50 - Sphalerite and siderite on muscovite

Barroca Grande Mine, Panasqueira, near Silvares (Fundao, Portugal)

A lustrous black crystal of sphalerite 2.3x1.5 cm. across with interesting growth features is sitting in a matrix of fine-grained silvery muscovite with needles of tourmaline in several areas. Other associated species are creamy siderite crystals to about 8 mm. across, a few transparent quartz crystals to 1 cm. long and a few transparent light green apatite crystals to 2 mm. long. Undamaged and very nice.

9.3x6x3 - 70 €

WPAN-07/37 - Ferberite, siderite and apatite

Barroca Grande Mine, Panasqueira, near Silvares (Fundao, Portugal)

Floater cluster of lustrous black crystals of ferberite to 6x4 cm. with a partial coating (mainly at back) of creamy zoned siderite crystals to about 4 mm. across. Siderite itself is also coated by tiny white crystals of calcite and is intermixed with small crystals of apatite. One side of the large ferberite crystal (seen at left in the picture below) has been cleaved sometime in the past but now shows some etching and a few siderite crystals and I really think it may be consider now as natural. Apart of that, it is undamaged.

8.3x5.5x4.6 - 100 €

WPAN-07/38 - Siderite and muscovite

Barroca Grande Mine, Panasqueira, near Silvares (Fundao, Portugal)

Floater loose crystal of dark brown siderite with silvery crystals of muscovite coating some areas. There is a 7-mm. cluster of arsenopyrite crystals and a crystal of lustrous transparent grey apatite associated. It is very uncommon at Panasqueira to find brown siderite without the typical creamy coating (of dolomitic composition) and this specimen is a good example. Undamaged.

3.5x3.5x2.8 - 25 €