Brittany (various tin occurrences)
Armorican Massif, France
Other hydrothermalSn
- Type
- Granite-related cassiterite veins and greisens
Small Breton tin occurrences and placers (Quily, Piriac-sur-Mer, Ruscumunoc, Penfeunteun, Saint-Renan, Tréguennec), related to Variscan granites. Indicative central position. Cassiterite studied by Marahrens (2021) for Bronze Age tin provenance. Indicative coordinates.
δ124Sn in ‰ (per mil) Values of the same system
Standard : NIST SRM 3161a
| Value | Range | n | Mineral or matrix | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.11 ± 0.27 ‰ | −0.13 / 0.77 ‰ | 9 | primary cassiterite Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 9 samples, Appendix A5. Mean δ124/120Sn of -0.06 ‰ (Puratronic). Replicates of a sample averaged. Breakdown (δ124Sn): Piriac-sur-Mer -0.13; Ruscumunoc 0.77; Quily 0.18, 0.02, 0.15; Penfeunteun 0.10; unknown locality 0.03, -0.08, -0.01. | Marahrens (2021), Tin isotope analysis of tin ore deposits in Europe and Central Asia in … |
| −0.44 ± 0.58 ‰ | −0.85 / −0.03 ‰ | 2 | secondary cassiterite (placers), Finistère Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 2 samples, Appendix A7. Mean δ124/120Sn of -0.32 ‰ (Puratronic). Replicates of a sample averaged. Breakdown (δ124Sn): Treguennec, Finistère -0.03; Saint-Renan, Finistère -0.85. | Marahrens (2021), Tin isotope analysis of tin ore deposits in Europe and Central Asia in … |
| −0.14 ± 0.28 ‰ | −0.33 / 0.06 ‰ | 2 | cassiterite Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 2 samples, Table 1 (FRA 01 et 05). Mathur et al. (2024) link the indium-rich, light Breton cassiterite to part of the Viking tin objects from Poland. | Mathur et al. (2024), Isotopic metal compositions of Viking and medieval tin artifacts fr… |
206Pb/204Pb isotope ratio, no unit Values of the same system
Standard : NIST SRM 981
| Value | Range | n | Mineral or matrix | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18.3137 / 51.367 | 6 | cassiterite concentrate (bulk lead) Range of 6 ores, "Lead isotopes - tin ores" sheet of OSM2 (marine placer, placer, surface vein, vein). Piriac-sur-Mer (two analyses averaged), Ruscumunoc, Saint-Renan, Quily, Nozay (Le Bé mine) and Penfeunteun. Cassiterite lead is partly radiogenic and spreads along an isochron: no representative central value. Sites: Nozay (Le Bé mine), Penfeunteun, Piriac-sur-Mer, Quily, Ruscumunoc, Saint-Renan. | Williams et al. (2025), From Land's End to the Levant: did Britain's tin sources transfor… |
207Pb/204Pb isotope ratio, no unit Values of the same system
Standard : NIST SRM 981
| Value | Range | n | Mineral or matrix | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15.6419 / 16.7626 | 6 | cassiterite concentrate (bulk lead) Range of 6 ores, "Lead isotopes - tin ores" sheet of OSM2 (marine placer, placer, surface vein, vein). Piriac-sur-Mer (two analyses averaged), Ruscumunoc, Saint-Renan, Quily, Nozay (Le Bé mine) and Penfeunteun. Cassiterite lead is partly radiogenic and spreads along an isochron: no representative central value. Sites: Nozay (Le Bé mine), Penfeunteun, Piriac-sur-Mer, Quily, Ruscumunoc, Saint-Renan. | Williams et al. (2025), From Land's End to the Levant: did Britain's tin sources transfor… |
208Pb/204Pb isotope ratio, no unit Values of the same system
Standard : NIST SRM 981
| Value | Range | n | Mineral or matrix | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 38.323 / 39.684 | 6 | cassiterite concentrate (bulk lead) Range of 6 ores, "Lead isotopes - tin ores" sheet of OSM2 (marine placer, placer, surface vein, vein). Piriac-sur-Mer (two analyses averaged), Ruscumunoc, Saint-Renan, Quily, Nozay (Le Bé mine) and Penfeunteun. Cassiterite lead is partly radiogenic and spreads along an isochron: no representative central value. Sites: Nozay (Le Bé mine), Penfeunteun, Piriac-sur-Mer, Quily, Ruscumunoc, Saint-Renan. | Williams et al. (2025), From Land's End to the Levant: did Britain's tin sources transfor… |
Deposits of the same type
- La Villeder France
- Dartmoor granite United Kingdom
- Hingston Down (quarry, Calstock) United Kingdom
- Kit Hill granite (Callington) United Kingdom
- St Austell granite United Kingdom
- Carnmenellis granite (Camborne-Redruth) United Kingdom
- Bodmin Moor granite United Kingdom
- Cornwall tin district United Kingdom
Cite this page
IsoFind Atlas (2026). Brittany (various tin occurrences), isotope signatures. https://www.isofind.tech/isotopes/en/deposits/bretagne-gites-stanniferes-divers/ (accessed 2026-10-13).
@misc{isofind2026brittanyvarioustinoccurrences,
title = {Brittany (various tin occurrences), isotope signatures},
author = {{IsoFind Atlas}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://www.isofind.tech/isotopes/en/deposits/bretagne-gites-stanniferes-divers/},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13}
}Updated : 2026-10-13