Cassiterite, Muscovite

Unknown Owner

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Mount Xuebaoding is a remote 17,858 foot mountain in western China’s Sichuan Province, situated in the rugged Tibetan Plateau region. Famous for over 25 years for producing the world’s finest scheelite crystals, this major locality has also produced some of the world’s finest and most distinctive cassiterite specimens. Cassiterite crystals from Mount Xuebaoding, which can reach 15+ cm, are distinctively twinned, with mirror-bright luster and complex surface growth features that make them mesmerizing to look at. Frequently perched on muscovite matrix, the finest examples can compete with cassiterite from anywhere in the world. These fine cassiterite crystals are destined to become Chinese mineral “classics”.