Land's End granite (tin district)
Penwith, west Cornwall, United Kingdom
Other hydrothermalSn (Cu, As)
- Type
- Granite-related cassiterite veins and greisens
Variscan Land's End granite, the westernmost of the Cornubian batholith, with the Botallack, Levant, St Just and Balleswidden mines, and the Kelynack Moor placers. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.87 ± 0.31 ‰ | 0.13 / 1.12 ‰ | 8 | primary cassiterite, Botallack mine Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 8 samples, Appendix A1. Mean δ124/120Sn of 0.28 ‰ (Puratronic). Replicates of a sample averaged. Sample MA-080518, markedly lighter (0.13 ‰), contrasts with the others (0.86 to 1.12 ‰). | Marahrens (2021), Tin isotope analysis of tin ore deposits in Europe and Central Asia in … |
| 0.42 ± 0.55 ‰ | −0.33 / 1.23 ‰ | 9 | primary cassiterite, other mines of the district Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 9 samples, Appendix A1. Mean δ124/120Sn of 0.07 ‰ (Puratronic). Replicates of a sample averaged. Breakdown (δ124Sn): St Just Mine 0.78; Wheal Bellan Mine 0.39; North Levant Mine 0.21; Levant Mine -0.33; Carn Escalls Mine 1.23; Balleswidden Mine 1.22; Penzance 0.04, 0.27; St. Ives -0.05. | Marahrens (2021), Tin isotope analysis of tin ore deposits in Europe and Central Asia in … |
| 0.76 ‰ | 1 | secondary cassiterite (placers), Kelynack Moor One analysis, Appendix A7. Mean δ124/120Sn of 0.23 ‰ (Puratronic). Replicates of a sample averaged. | Marahrens (2021), Tin isotope analysis of tin ore deposits in Europe and Central Asia in … | |
| 0.59 ± 0.4 ‰ | 0.18 / 0.98 ‰ | 3 | placer cassiterite Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 3 samples, "Tin isotopes - tin ores" sheet of OSM2; replicates averaged. Detail (δ124Sn): Porthledden Beach (0.60), Nanquindo (0.98), Chysauster (0.18). | Williams et al. (2025), From Land's End to the Levant: did Britain's tin sources transfor… |
206Pb/204Pb isotope ratio, no unit Values of the same system
Standard : NIST SRM 981
| Value | Range | n | Mineral or matrix | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18.6761 / 61.8156 | 14 | cassiterite concentrate (bulk lead) Range of 14 ores, "Lead isotopes - tin ores" sheet of OSM2 (buried placer, marine placer, placer, surface placer, surface vein, underground vein). Cassiterite lead is partly radiogenic and spreads along an isochron: no representative central value. Sites: Balleswidden, Bartinney Downs, Carbis Bay beach, Chysauster, Cold Harbour, Darlington stream (Marazion Marsh alluvials), Geevor Mine (New Coronation lode Level 17), Nanquindo, Porthledden Beach, Tresco, Trevaylor, Wheal Drea, Wheal Hermon, Wherry Mine. | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15.6436 / 18.0171 | 14 | cassiterite concentrate (bulk lead) Range of 14 ores, "Lead isotopes - tin ores" sheet of OSM2 (buried placer, marine placer, placer, surface placer, surface vein, underground vein). Cassiterite lead is partly radiogenic and spreads along an isochron: no representative central value. Sites: Balleswidden, Bartinney Downs, Carbis Bay beach, Chysauster, Cold Harbour, Darlington stream (Marazion Marsh alluvials), Geevor Mine (New Coronation lode Level 17), Nanquindo, Porthledden Beach, Tresco, Trevaylor, Wheal Drea, Wheal Hermon, Wherry Mine. | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 38.107 / 42.514 | 14 | cassiterite concentrate (bulk lead) Range of 14 ores, "Lead isotopes - tin ores" sheet of OSM2 (buried placer, marine placer, placer, surface placer, surface vein, underground vein). Cassiterite lead is partly radiogenic and spreads along an isochron: no representative central value. Sites: Balleswidden, Bartinney Downs, Carbis Bay beach, Chysauster, Cold Harbour, Darlington stream (Marazion Marsh alluvials), Geevor Mine (New Coronation lode Level 17), Nanquindo, Porthledden Beach, Tresco, Trevaylor, Wheal Drea, Wheal Hermon, Wherry Mine. | Williams et al. (2025), From Land's End to the Levant: did Britain's tin sources transfor… |
Deposits of the same type
- Carnmenellis granite (Camborne-Redruth) United Kingdom
- Cornwall tin district United Kingdom
- St Agnes (tin district) United Kingdom
- Cligga Head United Kingdom
- St Austell granite United Kingdom
- Bodmin Moor granite United Kingdom
- Kit Hill granite (Callington) United Kingdom
- Hingston Down (quarry, Calstock) United Kingdom
Cite this page
IsoFind Atlas (2026). Land's End granite (tin district), isotope signatures. https://www.isofind.tech/isotopes/en/deposits/granite-de-land-s-end-district-stannifere/ (accessed 2026-10-13).
@misc{isofind2026landsendgranitetindistrictiso,
title = {Land's End granite (tin district), isotope signatures},
author = {{IsoFind Atlas}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://www.isofind.tech/isotopes/en/deposits/granite-de-land-s-end-district-stannifere/},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13}
}Updated : 2026-10-13