Stannite from Keystone Mining District, Pennington County, South Dakota, USA

Help improve this record

No owner is registered for this specimen yet. If it's yours or you know more about it, you can add the owner, provenance, publications and other details.

Metallic crystallized stannite across one surface of matrix with minor colusite. Very interesting locality example for the species.Stannite is a metallic mineral that serves as an important ore of tin, often referred to by miners as bell metal ore due to its high tin content. Geologically, it occurs primarily in hydrothermal vein deposits and tin-bearing pegmatites, frequently associated with other sulfide minerals like chalcopyrite, sphalerite, and galena. It typically exhibits a steel-grey to iron-black color with a distinct metallic luster, though it can develop a yellowish or brassy tarnish over time. Stannite is technically a sulfide of copper, iron, and tin, and it crystallizes in the tetragonal system, though well-formed crystals are relatively rare compared to massive or granular aggregates. Historically, it has been an essential mineral for the production of bronze and other alloys.