Cassiterite (reddish colored) on Quartz (ex Rolando Gioia Collection)

Item Description

An attractive specimen of beautifully colored Cassiterite from an undisclosed locality in Bolivia. Based upon the color of the Cassiterites and the habit of the Quartz, it's difficult to say where it could be from. I'm ruling out Viloco and Siglo XX, and more than likely the piece is from a smaller mine, and was perhaps found decades ago. With that said there are many small, but very fine, rich reddish to golden colroed cyclic twinned crystals of Cassiterite measuring up to a few mm which are sitting on prismatic, white to colorless, GEM/gemmy Quartz crystals measuring up to 4.4 cm long. The Cassiterites are best viewed with a loupe, but they are really attractive up close. From the collection of Rolando Gioia (a contributor to new definitive book on Brazilian minerals: "Minerais e Pedras Preciosas do Brasil").