Corundum var: Sapphire

Item Description

The marble deposits around Sar-e-Sang in Afghanistan for thousands of years have been the source of minerals, most notably fine crystals of Lazurite, but it's not common to get your hands on a good Sapphire specimen, especially a showy matrix piece like this in my experience. This dramatic and highly displayable small cabinet features a sharp, well-formed, lustrous, prismatic, hexagonal crystal with a predominantly inky blue color, though there are patches of white coloring, including a gorgeous white "cap" on the basal termination, free-standing on sawn micaceous matrix. The crystal measures 3.3 cm long, and there are a few smaller accenting Sapphires near the base for a nice touch. No major damage that I can find, though there is a chip on the corner of the termination. This is one of the best examples of this material that we've ever had to offer, and it's UN-REPAIRED to boot! Valued $1,250.
From the collection of William ("Bill") (1927-2006) and Anne (1928-2021) Cook of Cleveland, Ohio (#13639). 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.