Bastnäsite-(Ce) (fine classic crystals) (ex Bill and Anne Cook Collection)

Item Description

The Trimouns Mine in Southern France is a giant talc-producing locality (yielding 400,000 tons of talc per year), but it's also the source of some superb crystals of certain rare-earth mineral species. I would say the most famous species from this locality is Bastnäsite-(Ce), as some of the finest crystals of the species have been found here. Now a lot of specimens from Trimouns feature micro crystals, but the Bastnäsite-(Ce) specimens can feature eye-visible crystals, showing superb textbook hexagonal form. This piece is a great example of this classic material featuring a beautiful, rich orange colored group of platy hexagonal blades of Bastnäsite-(Ce) measuring 7 mm across associated with minor brown crystals of Allanite-(Ce) and colorless, rhombic crystals of Dolomite on matrix. Although you can clearly see the Bastnäsite-(Ce) crystals with the naked eye, this piece is really fun to view with a loupe or microscope, like most specimens from this historic locality. A must have for any fan of rarities, classics or beautifully crystallized specimens. From the collection of William ("Bill") (1927-2006) and Anne (1928-2021) Cook of Cleveland, Ohio. 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.