Bismuth (synthetic)

Item Description

Certain synthetic/lab-grown minerals on the market are almost ubiquitous among collectors. Even most amateur collectors have at least seen these iconic lab-grown Bismuth specimens in rocks shops, if not in private collections. They are instantly recognizable with highly characteristic exaggerated skeletal/"hoppered" cubic form along with the iridescent coloring. For reference, Britannica.com states, "although it does not tarnish in air at ordinary temperatures, bismuth forms an oxide coating when heated and is oxidized rapidly at its boiling point of 1,560 °C". This creates multiple light wavelengths bouncing off of each other, causing the rainbow-like effect. The hollow shape of the crystals is due to rapid accelerations on the exterior edges, so the outside grows faster than the interior, creating these iconic forms. This piece is a classic example featuring a predominant crystal group of "hoppered" Bismuth crystals, free of matrix. I really reminds of artwork by M. C. Escher!
From the synthetic mineral suite of William ("Bill") (1927-2006) and Anne (1928-2021) Cook of Cleveland, Ohio (#11,990). 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. The rare barium lithium beryllium phosphate Wilancookite was named in their honor in 2015.