Cassiterite (rare)

Item Description

Cassiterite is rarely seen in faceted stones as the crystals are often black and opaque, but a small percentage of crystals are transparent and suitably to cut fine stones. Once you find gem material, it requires a skilled cutter to properly handle the brittle material. China does not often produce gem quality Cassiterite, but there are some well-known examples from the Amo Mine in Yunnan Province that are transparent and luckily escaped the crusher. This particular stone was faceted from a piece of rough that was mined approximately 20 years ago. It's a bit dark, but when backlit, it does pass light. It has a "Round Brilliant" cut, and I would say it has moderate inclusions. Due to the density of the material, Cassiterite gems are heavy even in smaller sized examples like this.