Cassiterite on Muscovite from Xuebaoding Mountain near Pingwu, Sichuan Province, China

Cassiterite on Muscovite from Xuebaoding Mountain near Pingwu, Sichuan Province, China- Collectors Piece

Weight 305g
Size 8.5cm by 6.5cm
Thickness 4cm

Cassiterite is a tin oxide mineral with a chemical composition of SnO2. It is the most important source of tin, and most of the world’s supply of tin is obtained by mining cassiterite. Small amounts of primary cassiterite are found in igneous and metamorphic rocks throughout the world. It is also a residual mineral found in soils and sediments. Cassiterite is more resistant to weathering than many other minerals, and that causes it to be concentrated in stream and shoreline sediments.

Muscovite (also known as common mica, isinglass, or potash mica) is a hydrated phyllosilicate mineral of aluminium and potassium.