Cassiterite with Quartz (with Smoky Quartz "Phantoms"!)

Item Description

This specimen was found about 7-8 months ago, and is one of the more attractive Cassiterite association specimens that I have had to offer in years. 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 host of several fine, sharp, lustrous, black cyclic twinned crystals measuring up to 1.6 cm across which are associated with very eye-catching Quartz crystals that actually have Smoky Quartz "phantoms" in the center of the prisms! The piece is in great shape, and the beautiful Cassiterite/Quartz/Smoky Quartz association is not only uncommon, but really give a lot of life to a few species that aren't terribly colorful. It is a very nice display piece and one of the few I have seen in the last 20 years. These classic specimens from Viloco are simply not seen for sale in today's market, and to find crystals on Quartz like this piece is rare.