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(text and pictures by FdW)
This locality became really famous after mining-archeologists from Spain and France discovered and researched a cavity underground with large Gypsum-crystals.
The mine is of course closed now, and that must be respected. Universities are monitoring the humidity and temperature of the Gypsum cavity in the hope to stabilize it, after which possibly the mine can be opened as a visitors-mine. Lots of information can be found here on the Thomas Krassmann Giantcrystals site.
On the dumps of the mine it is possible to find nice Gypsum-xls on Siderit-xx. Inside the Gypsum-xls can be Strontianit-xx. And perhaps to your surprise: although there were Gypsum-blocks lying here as big as a head, I only took two crystals, the one on the second picture and a small waterclear one to make a collar for Veronique. That was it and that was enough ;-) In a tunnel on the right side of the hill there were Gypsum-"locken" growing on the tunnel-walls. Those were fragile curved crystals so to 4-5 cm long. We took a few specimens home and they all survived the airplane-cargo-handling!
If you're searching for mineralogical articles on this locality (geonieuws-2000-07-176-spanje-almeria-pilar-de-jaravia-gips, geonieuws-2000-09-215-spanje-almeria-pilar-de-jaravia, lapis-2000-10-05-spanje-almeria-pilar-jaravia-gips,
bocamina-2000-06-52-spanje-almeria-sierra-del-aguilon-pilar-de-jaravia-gips,
etc...), please contact us...
Also see:
giantcrystals.strahlen.org,
bocamina.com,
amyp.org,
Mindat.org on this location.
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