Mineral · Rutile group
Cassiterite
SnO2
Cassiterite is tin oxide, the black to brown adamantine crystals of Cornwall, Bolivia (Viloco), China and Namibia, often as 'visor' twins. Its great weight, adamantine lustre and pale streak identify it. Cornish cassiterite specimens from the historic mines are collectible for their history; Chinese and Bolivian crystals are the display pieces.
| Formula | SnO2 |
|---|---|
| IMA status | grandfathered |
| Crystal system | Tetragonal |
| Mohs hardness | 6–7 |
| Group | Rutile group |
| Type locality | None (known since antiquity) |
| Streak | White to brownish |
| Specific gravity | 7.0 |
| Reference list | IMA List of Minerals (RRUFF) — verify formula and status against the current list |
Elsewhere
Cite this article
Stratum Strata. "Cassiterite" (Mineral). Stratum Strata pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21. https://stratum.black/strata/minerals/cassiterite. Accessed 2026-09-21.
@misc{stratum-cassiterite,
title = {Cassiterite},
author = {{Stratum Strata}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/strata/minerals/cassiterite}},
year = {2026},
note = {Mineral article, Stratum Strata pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21; sources: stratum, wikidata, commons. Accessed 2026-09-21.}
} Citations carry the pack version and the article's as-of date so they resolve to the same text later. The facts themselves belong to the sources listed below; cite those for the science.