Cassiterite

specimen number:
2262022

location:
Horni Slavkov, Sokolov, Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic

description:
Beautiful lustrous sharply twinned crystal of cassiterite with very little attached matrix. An excellent thumbnail for this European classic. Very little micro-chipping present.

Horni Slavkov, historically known by its German name Schlaggenwald, is a premier European mineral locality situated in the Slavkovsky Les mountain range of the Czech Republic. Geologically, the area is defined by a highly evolved granite pluton that underwent intense hydrothermal alteration, creating a classic greisen deposit rich in tin and tungsten. The mineralization occurs in complex vein systems and massive greisen bodies containing cassiterite, wolframite, and an array of rare phosphates and fluorides hosted within the altered granite. Mining in Schlaggenwald has ancient roots, with tin extraction dating back to at least the 12th century, reaching a peak of prosperity during the 16th century when it was one of the most important tin producers in the world. While traditional tin and tungsten mining continued intermittently through the 19th and early 20th centuries, a significant shift occurred after World War II when the district became a major site for uranium mining between 1948 and 1962. Commercial mining operations eventually ceased in the 1960s, but the town remains world-famous for the exceptional quality of its historical specimens, particularly its sharp apatite crystals and twinned cassiterite.

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