Pyrite

specimen number:
1115296

location:
Ampliacion a Victoria Mine, Navajun, La Rioja, Spain

description:
A grouping of three sharp mirror bright golden pyrite crystals without matrix. Good thumbnail for this classic locality.

The Ampliacion a Victoria Mine, located near Navajun in the La Rioja province of Spain, is globally famous for producing some of the most geometrically perfect pyrite crystals ever discovered. Geologically, the deposit sits within Cretaceous-age sedimentary sequences, specifically fossiliferous marls of the Urbion Group, where regional hydrothermal activity and iron-sulfur reactions facilitated crystal growth. Mineralogically, the site is world-renowned for yielding flawless, mirror-faced cubic pyrite crystals and combinations that often appear artificially sculpted due to their striking mathematical precision. Historically, commercial exploration began when prospector Pedro Ansorena secured rights in the 1960s, culminating in the official exploitation concession granted on May 2, 1983, and the mine continues to operate primarily for mineral collectors and museums worldwide.

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