Detailed information
Dimensions
104 x 118 x 63
mm
Weight
1077 g
Locality
Dolcoath Mine Tuckingmill, Camborne Cornwall, England
Condition
No recorded repairs
Dolcoath is not only one of the most famous tin mines in Cornwall, but one of the most famous copper mines too. Even its name means 'Old ground' from the Cornish. Known as the Queen of Cornish mines, its workings date back to the 16th century with operations swaying from tin to copper during the 18th century, and back to tin again, eventually closing in the 1920s, having reached a depth of 1 km. This extremely dense specimen shows just how rich the tin ore can be, with crystals to 6 mm in length liberally lining cavities in finely crystallized Cassiterite with naturally etched Quartz. Although not gemmy, the crystals are well-formed, as four-sided prisms with pyramidal terminations, some doubly-terminated. Clear vertical striations are seen along the length of most of the crystals with the smaller crystals cream coloured and the larger ones darker brown. An exceptionally rich and large crystallized Dolcoath Cassiterite. Ex Martin Kershaw Collection, no. 637.