Cassiterite

specimen number:
1052555

location:
Elsmore, Gough Co., New South Wales, Australia

description:
I think an outstanding example for the species from Australia. Bright lustrous sharply formed crystals of cassiterite, most of these twinned, measuring to 1.5 cm in size across the top of matrix. Very slight damage present, overall in good condition. The specimen comes with a previous antique label as shown at the end of the video and dates to the very early 20th century or late 19th century.

Elsmore, located in the New England region of New South Wales, holds a significant place in Australian mining history as the site of the first commercial tin discovery in the colony. Geologically, the deposit is centered on the Elsmore Granite, a late Permian highly evolved S-type leucogranite that intruded into Carboniferous metasediments. The mineralization occurs primarily as cassiterite within greisen veins and stockworks, where hydrothermal alteration of the granite transformed feldspar into quartz and mica. Extensive secondary alluvial and eluvial deposits also formed as the tin-rich granite weathered over millions of years. Historically, the rush began in 1871 after James Joseph O'Daly and others confirmed the presence of tin, leading to the formation of the Elsmore Tin Mining Company. Major industrial activity flourished from the 1870s through the early 20th century, with various phases of hydraulic sluicing and underground mining of deep leads. While large-scale operations transitioned to smaller concerns by the 1930s, the district saw intermittent prospecting and minor production through the mid-20th century. Today, Elsmore is recognized as a classic locality for well-formed cassiterite crystals, often found as lustrous black bipyramidal individuals or clusters.

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