Simone Ferrante's Photo Gallery

7TL-1N8Danburite CaB₂Si₂O₈

Vetralla, Viterbo Province, Lazio, Italy

Colourless shiny crystal of Danburite of 0,8 mm of extension in a cavity of the sanidinite.


Picture and collection: Simone Ferrante

HFJ-DD1Corkite-Hinsdalite Series

Fosso Mandromicci, Gerfalco, Montieri, Grosseto Province, Tuscany, Italy

Small yellow ball of Corkite/Hinsdalite series mineral of o,3 mm in a cavity of the quartzite.



Picture and collection: Simone Ferrante

2QF-2T5Fluorapatite Ca₅(PO₄)₃F

Montenero Quarry, Onano, Viterbo Province, Lazio, Italy

Colourless prismatic crystal up to 1,5 mm inside sanidinite matrix.


Picture and collection: Simone Ferrante

M1A-R6PMimetite Pb₅(AsO₄)₃Cl

Fosso Mandromicci, Gerfalco, Montieri, Grosseto Province, Tuscany, Italy

Shiny yellow crystals up to 1,4 mm inside a geode of the quartzite.



Picture and collection: Simone Ferrante

Baratti slag locality in 1922

Baratti slag locality, Piombino, Livorno Province, Tuscany, Italy

Mining works in an old postcard. Some miners are working to remove the layer of slags present at the locality.


Courtesy of Mr. Brancardi

Excavator in 1922

Baratti slag locality, Piombino, Livorno Province, Tuscany, Italy

Very old steam shovel excavator used by Società Anonima Populonia during the mining works performed in the 1920s at Baratti to remove the old Etruscan slags. At that time the Baratti slag reserves were estimated at 2.5 million tons, of which 800.000 tons with an iron grade between 52%-59% Fe. Most of these slags were re-casted to obtain iron.
This picture shows that 3 persons, included a mechanic, were needed to drive this machinery.



Courtesy of Mr. Brancardi

MLF-TVPPerite PbBiClO₂

Passa Limani Cove slag locality, Lavrion slag localities, Lavreotiki, East Attica, Attica, Greece

Superb yellow group of tabular crystals of visually identified perite (1.2 mm) in association with red balls of an unidentified mineral [might be ferrihydrite, but more probably the 'Unnamed (Pb-Fe-As-Cl-O-H)' http://www.mindat.org/min-42914.html] (size 0.2 mm).


Picture and collection: Simone Ferrante

6WC-H9UNealite Pb₄Fe²⁺(As³⁺O₃)₂Cl₄·2H₂O

Thorikos Bay slag locality, Lavrion slag localities, Lavreotiki, East Attica, Attica, Greece

Great sun yellow crystals of Nealite up to 2,4 mm of extension.


Picture and collection: Simone Ferrante

GJ9-V0LRosenbergite AlF[F_0.5(H₂O)_0.5]₄·H₂O

Le Cetine di Cotorniano Mine, Chiusdino, Siena Province, Tuscany, Italy

Amazing and very aesthetic crystal's group of Rosenbergite of 2 mm of extension on a geode of the silicizes limestone.


Picture and collection: Simone Ferrante

R68-6PDRosenbergite AlF[F_0.5(H₂O)_0.5]₄·H₂O

Le Cetine di Cotorniano Mine, Chiusdino, Siena Province, Tuscany, Italy

Great group of needles of Rosenbergite up to 3 mm of extension for each crystal.



Picture and collection: Simone Ferrante