Tin (Sn) [Z = 50]
The primary mineral source of tin is cassiterite (SnO2). Tin’s mineralization is commonly associated with igneous intrusion and related ore systems. The classic tin deposit is greisen, an ore deposit characterized by a hydrothermally altered granitic rock. The mineralogical alteration is mostly composed of albite, quartz, and mica, common in European tin deposits. However, there are other tin deposit types, such as vein systems, anorogenic ring complexes, and breccia pipes. In some cases there may be spatial, temporal, and genetic links to classical intrusive ore deposits as porphyry and epithermal systems.