Charrier is a small indium–rich copper–tin deposit of the skarnoid type in Forez (North French Massif central). It is hosted in a Devono-dinantian volcano-sedimentary series at the contact with the Visean Bois-noirs granite. Its genesis includes an early high temperature oxidized stage (around 550–350 °C) with cassiterite–magnetite, followed by a reduced sulphide stage (around 350–250 °C) with bornite–chalcopyrite dominant with wittichenite, tennantite, sphalerite, bismuthinite and roquesite (CuInS 2 ) which takes place under conditions of acidic pH and low sulfur fugacity. Hydrothermal apatite provides a U–Pb age of 340.7 ± 2.6 Ma identical to that of the granite (341 ± 4 Ma); it is confirmed by the U–Pb age of 332 ± 12 Ma measured on cassiterite. The deposit was therefore formed at the beginning of the late-Variscan extension by the action of magmatic Sn–Bi–In fluids issued from the Bois-noirs granite (341 ± 4 Ma) and which reacted with the volcano-sedimentary series. Charrier could reflect the superimposition of a copper district on a vast tin (and tungsten) belt, what suggests the presence of other copper/tin deposits in this region. This superimposition is enhanced by a particular richness in indium in northern Forez, this metal being expressed from the Visean (roquesite of Charrier) to the Lias (indium sphalerite from the lead–zinc veins), an illustration of the phenomenon of metallic permanence.