Quartz with Cassiterite (interesting material) (new find)

Item Description

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 piece, despite the Cassiterite presence, is more of a Quartz specimen in my mind. It consists of several prismatic, lustrous, unique crystals of Quartz which range in color from colorless to a "sherry"/"smoky" hue to a dark brown/black shade. Some of the smaller Quartz crystals show slight "phantoms", while others are virtually opaque. We're not completely sure what's causing the dark color in the Quartz crytals, as it could be heavy radiation or inclusions of a mineral such as Cassiterite or Tourmaline. The small "sugary" looking spots on the specimen are also Quartz crystals even though they almost look metallic. Additionally there are several fine, sharp, lustrous, brown/black cyclic twinned crystals of Cassiterite on the piece, forming a cool and unusual small cabinet sized specimen. This is a very attractive overal piece and certainly different from the majority of Quartz association specimens I've seen from Viloco. If you're a Bolivian collector, or a collector of unique Quartz specimens, then be sure to pick this one up. It's in very good shape all around, with only a few imperfections here and there. Mined in August of 2011.