Calcite (Manganese-bearing) on Sphalerite

Item Description

This small cabinet specimen is a wonderfully showy, three-dimensional and fine quality piece of this classic material from Dalnegorsk. The piece host a solitary, doubly-terminated, sharp, lustrous, well-formed, translucent, soft pink colored (due to manganese content) trigonal crystal of Calcite measuring 3.2 cm, aesthetically perched atop a matrix of black Sphalerite with medium brown Siderite. I love the displayability of the piece, as the Calcite just sits so beautifully atop the matrix. Excellent condition all around. The piece shows attractive bright orange fluorescence under 365nm UV light.
From the collection of William ("Bill") (1927-2006) and Anne (1928-2021) Cook of Cleveland, Ohio (#9382). 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.