Calcite

specimen number:
2262051

location:
Solita Mine, Peramea, Baix Pallars, Pallars Sobira, Lleida, Catalonia, Spain

description:
A superb in beautiful Spanish classic this very deep reddish purple translucent botryoidal crystallized calcite across the top of matrix. Slightly translucent and in really good condition. The crystals have a chatoyancy to them the specimen comes with two previous collection labels dating to the 1960s. The color is outstanding.

The Solita Mine, located near Peramea in the Baix Pallars municipality of Lleida, Catalonia, is a world-renowned locality for its unique and intensely colored cobaltian calcite. Geologically, the deposit is hosted within Permo-Triassic sedimentary rocks, specifically conglomerates and sandstones, where cobalt-bearing hydrothermal fluids circulated through fractures and voids. The site is famous for producing botryoidal and banded crusts of calcite that exhibit an exceptionally deep, saturated "cherry red" or magenta hue, which is significantly more vivid than the pale pinks found in other global localities. Historically, the mine was a small-scale operation that targeted cobalt and nickel ores, with its most active period of exploration and production occurring during the first half of the 20th century. While industrial mining was limited, the locality gained immense popularity among mineralogists in the 1970s when high-quality specimens were recovered from the old workings. Today, the mine is abandoned and the tunnels are largely collapsed, making the distinctive red banded specimens from Solita highly prized and rare additions to mineral collections.

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