Cassiterite (gemmy) (ex Franceso Bedogne Collection)

Item Description

Altough this piece was originally labeled as coming from "Oruro", I am certain it was found at the Viloco Mine as it's honestly the only Cassiterite locality in Bolivia that produces gem grade crystals like this. 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 features a fine, sharp, lustrous, cyclic-twinned crystal group of Cassiterite that is actually gemmy! when backlit. The luster and color are very nice for the material, as you can see a rich golden hue in even moderate lighting. Keep in mind that despite all of the thousands of tons of tin ore that are mined in Bolivia each year, Viloco is the only mine to produce gem quality crystals that are large enough and fine enough to facet stones. These classic specimens from Viloco are simply not seen for sale in today's market very often, especially with gemmy crystals like this. From the worldwide collection of famed Italian mineral collector, field collector and author, Francesco Bedogne of Sondrio, Italy. Bedogne wrote dozens of articles and several books about the mineralogy of Italian Alpine localities such as Val Bregaglia, Val Masino, Val Codera, Val Spluga, Valtellina and the famous Val Malenco. He was also the founder of the Valtellinese Mineralogical Institute.