Noun
Native tin dioxide; tin stone; a mineral occurring in tetragonal crystals of reddish brown color, and brilliant adamantine luster; also massive, sometimes in compact forms with concentric fibrous structure resembling wood (wood tin), also in rolled fragments or pebbly (Stream tin). It is the chief source of metallic tin. See Black tin, under Black.
Source: Webster's dictionaryCassiterite (SnO 2 ), the tin oxide form of tin, was most likely the original source of tin in ancient times. Source: Internet
Cassiterite production peaked at 1,000 tonnes in 1990, but was under 700 tonnes in 2000. Source: Internet
This is amazing, given that tin is a semi-rare metal, and even a rich cassiterite ore only has 5% tin. Source: Internet
Tin must be mined (mainly as the tin ore cassiterite ) and smelted separately, then added to molten copper to make bronze alloy. Source: Internet