Cassiterite with Quartz

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For connoisseurs of tin ores, this Cassiterite specimen is from a famous old occurrence in Malaysia - Penang mine. The famous tin deposits in Malaysia were first worked using placer-style mining techniques such as dredging and gravity separation, and later expanded to include hard-rock mining. This small cabinet specimen from Penang mine displays crystals of Cassiterite on rock matrix. The crystals are not the largest, most lustrous, or finest form of crystallization that you will see from Cassiterite in some other world occurrences, but when have you ever seen a specimen from Penang mine available? This historically important specimen displays a vein of crystallized Quartz-Cassiterite cutting through finely crystallized rock matrix. The Quartz forms narrow, needle-like white crystals between which dark grey to black resinous Cassiterite crystals are dispersed. The largest Cassiterite crystal reaches 8 mm across but most are much smaller, but some are nicely formed within small cavities. Ex David Hardman collection.