Hydroxylherderite (rare green color TWINNED crystal) on Albite (ex Bill and Anne Cook Collection)

Item Description

Please note that this specimen is labeled as coming from the Kandahar Mine near Baha, but I can't find a listing for this locality on mindat.org, so we're simply leaving it as "Braldu Valley" for the purpose of this listing. With that said, it's quite difficult to get your hands any specimens of these famous green Hydroxylherderite specimens. They only came out in a few pockets in the early 2000s in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Nothing has been found in years, and there are many collectors who have said that these crystals are their favorite color of Herderite from any locality in the world. It should be noted that green is an exceptionally rare color for Herderite, and to find specimens with such excellent quality crystals on matrix just pushed the rarity up another notch. This attractive miniature specimen features a wonderful, sharp, lustrous, translucent, soft silvery green colored, fine twinned crystal of Hydroxylherderite measuring 1.8 cm aesthetically sitting on attractive white bladed Albite matrix. The twin itself is very well-formed, with smooth faces on every side. There are a few smaller Herderites lower on the specimen for a nice touch. The piece is in in great shape and it's so showy! Priced at $1,600 in our inventory. 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.