Cassiterite

Item Description

Cassiterite is rarely seen in faceted stones as the material if often not transparent enough to cut fine stones, plus it requires a skilled cutter to properly handle the brittle material. Bolivia has probably produced more Cassiterite ore than any country in the world. The large majority of the Cassiterite from Viloco is completely opaque and black. Rarely, gem quality crystals are found and those that escape the crusher are prized for their clarity. It's important to note that of the hundreds of tin mines in Bolivia, Viloco is the ONLY mine to produce GEM quality Cassiterite crystals. This particular stone was faceted from a piece of rough that was obtained directly at the mine at Viloco around the year 2000. It is a good sized stone, with a brown, orange golden overtones, and a standard "Round" cut. The stone has SI clarity, and would make a good addition to any rare stone suite, or a collection of unusual gems from hard to find localities.