diff --git a/libs/community/langchain_community/graph_vectorstores/cassandra.py b/libs/community/langchain_community/graph_vectorstores/cassandra.py
index f6c99d6cf0547f..e4a5fa030b4799 100644
--- a/libs/community/langchain_community/graph_vectorstores/cassandra.py
+++ b/libs/community/langchain_community/graph_vectorstores/cassandra.py
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
     cast,
 )
 
-from cassio.table.mixins.metadata import MetadataMixin
 from langchain_core._api import beta
 from langchain_core.documents import Document
 from typing_extensions import override
@@ -47,13 +46,6 @@ def __init__(self, node: Node, embedding: list[float]) -> None:
         self.embedding = embedding
 
 
-def _serialize_metadata(md: dict[str, Any]) -> str:
-    if isinstance(md.get(METADATA_LINKS_KEY), set):
-        md = md.copy()
-        md[METADATA_LINKS_KEY] = list(md[METADATA_LINKS_KEY])
-    return MetadataMixin._serialize_md_dict(md)
-
-
 def _serialize_links(links: list[Link]) -> str:
     class SetAndLinkEncoder(json.JSONEncoder):
         def default(self, obj: Any) -> Any:  # noqa: ANN401
@@ -163,7 +155,16 @@ def __init__(
                 exposed since CassandraGraphVectorStore only supports the
                 deny_list option.
         """
+        try:
+            from cassio.table.mixins.metadata import MetadataMixin
+        except (ImportError, ModuleNotFoundError):
+            raise ImportError(
+                "Could not import cassio python package. "
+                "Please install it with `pip install cassio`."
+            )
         self.embedding = embedding
+        self._serialize_md_dict = MetadataMixin._serialize_md_dict
+        self._coerce_string = MetadataMixin._coerce_string
 
         deny_list = set(metadata_deny_list)
         deny_list.add(METADATA_LINKS_KEY)
@@ -257,7 +258,7 @@ def add_nodes(
         )
         for node_id, text, text_embedding, metadata, incoming_links in tuples:
             metadata_s = {
-                k: MetadataMixin._coerce_string(v)
+                k: self._coerce_string(v)
                 for k, v in metadata.items()
                 if k not in self._metadata_deny_list
             }
@@ -267,7 +268,10 @@ def add_nodes(
                     _metadata_link_value()
                 )
 
-            attributes_blob = _serialize_metadata(metadata)
+            if isinstance(metadata.get(METADATA_LINKS_KEY), set):
+                metadata = metadata.copy()
+                metadata[METADATA_LINKS_KEY] = list(metadata[METADATA_LINKS_KEY])
+            attributes_blob = self._serialize_md_dict(metadata)
 
             futures.append(
                 store_session.execute_async(