Cassiterite twins on Albite (Rolando Gioia Coll.)

Item Description

Two sculptural rosettes of classic, sharp, lustrous, stepped-growth, cyclic-twinned cassiterite crystals are aesthetically set on the contrasting blocky, creamy albite matrix plate. The large rosette is 1.7 cm and the small one is 7 mm across. Pegmatites are not commonly known for cassiterite, but the Linopolis area has produced some wonderful specimens over the years, such as this very fine example. Ex Rolando Gioia Collection (a contributor to the new definitive book on Brazilian minerals: "Minerals and Precious Stones of Brazil").