Prehnite

specimen number:
2072305

location:
Oficarsa Quarry, Carchelejo, Jaen, Andalusia, Spain

description:
Fine sparkling greenish yellow botryoidal crystallized prehnite across the top of matrix. In very good condition, a nice example for the species and locality.

The Oficarsa Quarry, located in the municipality of Carchelejo within the province of Jaen, Spain, is a well-known mineralogical site situated in the Subbetic Zone of the Betic Cordillera. Geologically, the quarry extracts ophite, a type of doleritic intrusive rock that formed during the Triassic period as a result of volcanic activity in a rift environment. The locality is highly regarded for its exceptional specimens of prehnite, which typically occurs as translucent, pale green to yellowish-green globular aggregates and botryoidal masses that formed through the hydrothermal alteration of the host rock's silicate minerals. Historically, the site has functioned as a significant quarrying operation for the production of high-quality road aggregates and crushed stone, with industrial extraction activities intensifying during the latter half of the 20th century. While the primary focus of the quarry remains the production of construction materials, it has gained international recognition among mineralogists since the 1990s for the superb quality and size of the prehnite specimens found within its fracture zones. As of 2026, the Oficarsa Quarry continues to be an active industrial site.

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