Ammonium Nickel Sulfate Hexahydrate (synthetic)

Item Description

Here we have an attractive specimen of ammonium nickel sulfate hexahydrate, which is a synthetic substance used in electroplating and dying fabrics. It is also called "blue salt" or "single nickel salt". According to the label, this piece was grown in Germany and features excellent, very sharp, blocky, deep blue-green colored crystals measuring up to 4.6 cm across. The color is hard to accurately describe, I would say it's similar to the deeply colored Veszelyite crystals from the Black Pine Mine in Montana. The crystals have a vitreous luster, and a bit of gemminess/translucency when backlit. From the synthetic mineral suite of William ("Bill") (1927-2006) and Anne (1928-2021) Cook of Cleveland, Ohio (#9333). The back of the label states that this piece is from the Klimetz Collection. This husband and wife duo were actively involved in the mineral world for many decades. Bill was a PhD geologist, and Anne was a mathematician, and they both were very serious mineral collectors. Bill served for many years as adjunct curator of mineralogy at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, and Anne was inducted into the Micromounters' Hall of Fame on October 12, 2019. Both Bill and Anne, at various times, served as president both of the Mineralogical Society of Cleveland and of the Micromineral Society of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, and Anne was inducted into the mi The rare barium lithium beryllium phosphate Wilancookite was named in their honor in 2015.