Torbernite

specimen number:
2072204

location:
Calo, Vimianzo, A Coruna, Galicia, Spain

description:
Small green tablet shaped crystals of torbernite to 0.3 cm in size scattered across matrix. In good condition. Nice locality example for the species.

The Calo locality, situated within the Vimianzo municipality of A Coruna, Galicia, Spain, is a notable site for secondary uranium mineralization within the Hercynian basement of the Iberian Massif. Geologically, the deposit is hosted in a highly fractionated, peraluminous granite where late-stage hydrothermal activity or supergene alteration concentrated uranium along fractures and joints. The site is mineralogically significant for producing vibrant specimens of torbernite, a hydrated copper uranyl phosphate, which occurs as sharp, square, tabular crystals with a characteristic grass-green to emerald-green color and a pearly luster. Historically, exploration and small-scale mining for uranium in the Calo area occurred primarily during the mid-20th century, specifically between the late 1940s and the 1960s, as part of Spain's national effort to identify domestic radioactive resources. While the site never developed into a major industrial quarrying operation, it has remained a classic Spanish locality for collectors due to the exceptional aesthetics and sharp crystallization of its torbernite and autunite specimens.

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