Cassiterite ps. after Feldspar - image 1

Cassiterite ps. after Feldspar

$600.00

$40.00 shipping
Seller offers an extended return window of up to 30 days
Ships from USA

Crystal ClassicsFeatured

Tucson, Arizona, USA

7,543 for sale·132 sold

Famed for a very rare type of pseudomorph, Wheal Coates on the north Cornwall coast is also known for its beautiful cliff-top engine-house. This 3.2 cm long classic Cassiterite pseudomorph after Orthoclase feldspar is the type discovered in 1828 and reported upon by Stephen Davey in the Transactions of the Royal Society of Cornwall in 1832. Upon, or in it, the Cassiterite is intergrown with white Quartz with both the Quartz and Cassiterite forming tiny crystals. It has an old repair, where one end of the crystal has been reattached. The break actually looks like a natural tectonic fracture, which was well-known in these pseudomorphs, but has been fixed back together, presumably by the previous owner. Twinning was common in the original Orthoclase crystals and slight twinning can indeed be seen in this crystal. If you are looking for an iconic Cornish mineral specimen then you can't get much more classic than a Wheal Coates Cassiterite pseudomorph after feldspar and despite the repair this is a really good sized example. Ex Martin Kershaw Collection.