Fluorite (polished slice) (ex Bill and Anne Cook Collection)

Item Description

The Auglaize Quarry in Ohio is famous for producing some of the most attractive Fluorite specimens from any locality in Ohio. The classic colorless and purple "phantom" crystals are iconic. This piece is an attractive polished slice of Fluorite which features a defined colorless exterior, with a wonderful purple cubic "core". If you look closely, you can see thin purple "phantom" lines in between the colorless and purple areas of the crystal. Perhaps the most significant aspect of the piece is not the quality or color, but the actual SIZE! You almost never see crystals of this size from this locality, as it's well over 2 inches on edge! My guess is that the crystal was damaged when it was found, and the best way to salvage it was to cut and polish it into its current form. A really cool piece for any fan of Fluorites or minerals of the Midwestern US. 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.