Description
This cassiterite is from the Pingwu Beryl Mine in the Huya Township, Mt Xuebaoding, Pingwu Co., Mianyang Prefecture, Sichuan Province, China. This mine is well known for its production of mineral specimens that also includes aquamarine and scheelite. Cassiterite is an oxide mineral with a chemical formula of SnO. It is in the rutile group of minerals. This piece consists of a rosette-like cluster of jet-black to brown cassiterite crystals on a quartz and mica crystal matrix. The crystals are modified complex and twinned with tetragonal habits. They have a sub-metallic luster. This piece is a small miniature that measures 2 1/8 x 1 9/16 x 1 7/16 inches or 53 x 39 x 37 mm.
