Cassiterite (gemmy and good quality)

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 hosts several very sharp, highly lustrous, incredibly well-formed, cyclic twinned crystals of Cassiterite measuring up to 1.1 cm with gemmy prismatic Quartz. When backlit, the crystals are actually gemmy! which is rarely seen in Cassiterite from any world locality. The piece is in great shape overall, and displays beautifully from several angles. As you can see from the photos, the piece is truly diverse, and hardly looks the same from any angle. This is a very nice large thumbnail sized piece of this material. These classic specimens from Viloco are simply not seen for sale in today's market, and to find gemmy crystals like this is not at all common! 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.