Dolomite ''cast'' after Calcite (ex Bill and Anne Cook Collection)

Item Description

A wonderful and classic specimen from Tsumeb featuring beautiful, pearly, very pale green colored rhombic Dolomite which has formed a hollow "cast" (sometimes called epimorphs or perimorphs) replacing preexisting Calcite crystals. If you look closely, you can see some tiny acicular "sprays" of green Malachite for a nice touch. The largest individual ''cast'' measures about 2.0 cm on edge. The reverse side of the specimen shows the distinct hollow cavities where the Calcite once existed, now filled with delicate minute crystalline Dolomite (which actually look like tiny ice crystals under magnification). A fantastic specimen of these excellent ''casts'' from what many people consider to be the greatest mineral locality in history. From the collection of William ("Bill") (1927-2006) and Anne (1928-2021) Cook of Cleveland, Ohio. 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.