Ambas Aguas

Muro de Aguas, La Rioja, Spain

Ambas Aguas is a nearly abandoned hamlet which sits in an area producing some of the worlds finest pyrite specimens.

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There are several small quarries and mining claims nearby which are worked for pyrite, often occuring as twinned cubes or pyritohedral (pentagonododecahedron) crystals.

Some of these crystals are extremely aesthetic and extremely sharp and well formed. ‘Iron cross’ and ‘pinecone’ formations are of particular interest.

 

The matrix is typically marlstone, sometimes with gypsum or cookeite. It is extremely brittle, and its very common for crystals to fall out of the matrix, meaning there are many repaired specimens from this locale – it is up to you whether you consider crystals glued back into their matrix ‘offensive’ within your collection.

There are some pay to dig locations around the area, and I’d personally quite like to visit sometime!

 

 

 

Further reading

 

 

If you are interested in other classic Spanish locales we may have stock from the following locales.

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Andalusia Aragon Asturias Cantabria Castile-La Mancha Castile and Leon Catalonia Extremadura La Rioja Murcia Navarre Valencia  

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