old classic Cassiterite w/ Quartz (Kay Robertson Coll.)

Item Description

An extremely rich, very showy and excellent older two-sided cassiterite specimen from this famous tin mining area. Splendent, sharp, jet-black twinned crystals, to 1.8 cm, are dramatically festooned on both sides and one edge of this classic piece. Many of the crystals have areas of brown gemminess under bright light, adding much pizzazz. The scattered quartz crystals are a fine contrast and the cassiterites on the front are larger, than those on the back. The low specimen number of Kay Robertson's, # 527, indicates she acquired this piece from J.W. Bradlely or The Bradley's in the late 1940s or 1950s. Kay is a prominent California collector, who specialized in European classics (see the article in the March-April, 2007 Mineralogical Record). Fairly valued at $1250-1500.