Cuprite coated by Malachite (classic material)

Item Description

A beautiful example of these old classic specimens from what used to be called the Emke Mine (now simply the Onganja Mine) in Namibia. The best of these specimens came out in the 1960s-1970s, and are truly iconic as they are the best examples of this particular material that you will find. The crystals started out as large, well-formed examples of Cuprite, which would be notably impressive in its own right, but they were coated by (or possibly oxidized to) a layer of Malachite, creating some of the most beautiful minerals from any copper deposit, not only in Namibia, but around the world. This fantastic miniature features a rather well-formed single crystal of Cuprite showing defined octahedral, dodecahedral and cubic crystal faces, with a thin layer of green Malachite on the exterior. When you flip the piece over, you can see that there is exposed Cuprite underneath, and it's even gemmy when backlit, showing a deep blood red hue. No damage on the front/display side of the piece and the elegant form combined with the size make it a very desirable example of this now hard to find material. Valued $3,000-$3,500.
From the collection of William ("Bill") (1927-2006) and Anne (1928-2021) Cook of Cleveland, Ohio (#7179). 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.