Pyrite

specimen number:
2072215

location:
Navajun, La Rioja, Spain

description:
A grouping of sharp cubic bright lustrous pyrite crystals.

The Navajun mining area, located in the Cameros Basin of La Rioja, Spain, is globally famous for producing the world's most perfect natural cubes of pyrite. Geologically, these crystals are hosted within the Lower Cretaceous Tera Group, consisting of organic-rich siltstones and marls that underwent low-grade hydrothermal metamorphism. During this process, fluids circulating through the sediment allowed iron and sulfur to precipitate as pyrite, forming remarkably sharp, mirror-lustrous cubes that can reach sizes of several centimeters with nearly flawless geometry. Historically, while the area has been known since ancient times, modern systematic mining for mineral specimens began in the 1960s. Unlike traditional industrial mines that extract ore for metal content, the Victoria Mine at Navajun is operated specifically for the recovery of high-quality mineral specimens. This specialized quarrying activity continues today, with miners carefully extracting the delicate cubes from the soft matrix to preserve their sharp edges and natural luster for the international museum and collector markets.

Questions about this specimen?
Send an email or call us: 314-341-1811.