Cassiterite

Item Description

Bolivia has probably produced more tin than any other country in the world. The great tin mines at Viloco (sometimes called Araca) have produced some of the most magnificent Cassiterite specimens extant. This particular specimen comprises several very sharp, lustrous, incredibly well-formed, cyclic twinned crystals of Cassiterite. The piece is in great shape overall, and is a very nice thumbnail sized piece of this material, despite a contact on the back. These classic specimens from Viloco are simply not seen for sale in today's market. Incidentally, of all the tin mines in Bolivia, Viloco is the only one to produce gem grade Cassiterite, and those pieces only comprise about 1% of what comes out of the ground.