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Joan Rosell |
An old man walking close to the dumps in the mining town of La Dehesa de Riotinto, enjoying his daily walk, with the eyes toward the horizon of his life and his view on the stones that are silent at his side. A faint rainbow shines in front of him, a golden glimmer on a black rock invite him, not without difficulty, to lean: goethite, chalcopyrite? And with the sun drawing the profile of the Corta and Cerro Colorado, the old Esteban came back home. In an empty box he leaves these samples. A few days more and the box goes to the hands of a young catalan friend, which I was. After nervously unpackaging, I try to classify the minerals with care... and behind this first box another box... Hence starts everything. I entered the mineral world in 1986, I was 15 years old, and soon I found a group of people who shared my passion, they were the Grup Mineralògic Català (Catalan Mineralogical Association, www.minercat.com). In 1987 I became part of the association and then I started to collaborate with them, with people also mineral enthusiasts. With them, and also with my father, who greatly enjoyed looking for minerals, I began to discover the meaning of "pedraferit" (fool for minerals). I studied chemistry at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, which is not a surprise because in the mineralogy amateur world there are more chemists than geologists. The GMC publishes the Catalan mineral magazine Mineralogistes de Catalunya, a magazine that currently also appears in the Spanish language (Revista de Minerales) and in English as Mineral Up (www.mineralup.com). During all these years I have been working with the magazine in many ways, including writing some articles. Another activity of the GMC is organizing Mineral Shows: Mineralexpo Barcelona Sants, Mineralexpo Sant Celoni, Expominer and La Palma. For many years I have been part of the GMC board. It was in Mineral Shows where I came to know Jordi Fabre. As long as I can remember I was always amazed in front of the Fabre Minerals stand: light, snowy white, colors, exceptional minerals... but unfortunately I had no money to buy expensive minerals. I want to emphasize (not because now he is my boss) his vast knowledge of minerals, which is always willing to share, as we know well. During these years, my mineral hobby led me to look for minerals everywhere; visiting other countries, participating in mineral shows and, most important to me, being able to meet people with whom I have good relationships, always ready to have a beer and talk about mineral dreams together. I hope that through Fabre Minerals I can better enjoy this wonderful hobby and that it will become a profession that is worth getting up early in the morning for. Joan Rosell
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