Cylindrite

specimen number:
2354270

location:
Santa Cruz Mine, Poopo, Oruro, Bolivia

description:
Very rich bright metallic cylindrical shaped crystals of cylindrite throughout matrix. A very good example for the species.

The Santa Cruz Mine near Poopo in the Oruro Department of Bolivia sits within the famous Bolivian tin belt, where hydrothermal ore veins crosscut Paleozoic sedimentary rocks during Tertiary magmatic events. Underground operations at this historic site focused primarily on extracting tin and silver ores, yielding complex sulfosalt mineralization that fascinated mineralogists and collectors worldwide. The locality is world-renowned as the type locality for cylindrite, a remarkable sulfosalt mineral famous for its distinct metallic, tube-like cylindrical rolls and shell-like sheets. Formed through hydrothermal crystallization in tin-bearing veins, these unique dark metallic cylindrical crystals remain among the most visually striking and sought-after mineral curiosities in mineralogy.

Questions about this specimen?
Send an email or call us: 314-341-1811.