Cassiterite on Quartz

Item Description

This is a sharp cluster of three fine Cassiterite crystals from Ximeng County, Yunnan, China. Gemmy to translucent, the crystals have the luster and complex habits that make these Cassiterites so desirable. The largest is 1.3 cm, and their uniformity adds a great deal to the aesthetics. These small and remote deposits have produced the gemmiest Cassiterites of China, and since the old Bolivian material of olden days. But these localities remain seldom-known and specimens very few compared to those from Ping Wu in Sichuan Province - which have another habit entirely. Such a lack of availability make a fine small-cabinet piece like this even more of a find. This is an older location and very rare compared to Ping Wu cassiterites.