Cassiterite

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Slightly translucent lustrous crystals of cassiterite measuring to 1.5 cm in size on matrix. This is in good condition.The mining site of La Villeder, located near Le Roc Saint-Andre and Pontivy in the Morbihan department of Brittany, France, is a historic tin extraction locality with evidence of ancient prehistoric and Bronze Age working, though modern industrial exploitation took place primarily during the 19th century before eventually closing. Geologically, the area is characterized by Paleozoic Variscan granitic intrusions and hydrothermal quartz veins cutting through local metamorphic rocks, where mineralizing fluids concentrated dense oxide deposits of cassiterite, the primary mineral ore of tin.