Cheralite (very rare)

Item Description

A very rarely seen example of the calcium thorium phosphate mineral, Cheralite, which was actually first discovered in India, and named in honor of the ancient king of Chera, in the southern part of the country. This material was formerly referred to as "Brabantite" and is actually a member of the Monazite Group. Mindat.org is keen to state that this material is not to be confused with Cheralite-(Ce) and was, "Discredited because identical to a Ca-rich monazite-(Ce)." With that said, specimens are incredibly hard to find on the market, and some of the better known examples are those from Carbon County, Wyoming, as is the case with this specimen. This toenail sized piece is a good sized example of reddish-brown Cheralite with attached silvery Muscovite (or another Mica species) on the back. Typically, this material is seen in more micro examples so to have a big blocky crystal of good color and quality like this is exceptionally hard to find.
From the synthetic mineral suite of William ("Bill") (1927-2006) and Anne (1928-2021) Cook of Cleveland, Ohio (#10,675). 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.