Cassiterite with Albite

Item Description

Pegmatitic Cassiterites are typically different than Cassiterites from ore deposits, as they often are a bit more compressed / tabular in habit. The style is actually a form of twinning, creating uniquely shaped crystals. This piece is a lovely example from Conselheiro Pena in Brazil featuring a razor-sharp, rather lustrous, jet-black, almost "disc"-shaped twinned crystal of Cassiterite measuring 1.3 cm, sitting among big, broad white bladed Albites, on cream colored Feldspar matrix. The Cassiterite is essentially damage-free and looks beautiful up close. A great cabinet sized example of this fairly obscure material.
From the worldwide mineral collection of geologist, Demetrius Pohl (#1046).