Linarite on Galena (classic material)

Item Description

Linarite is a sought after well-known lead copper sulfate species with a gorgeous blue color. The pieces from the Blanchard Mine in Bingham, New Mexico are some of the best examples of the species from the Western Hemisphere. This robust thumbnail specimen is a classic example of this famous material featuring a rich coverage of beautiful, lustrous, intense royal-blue crystals of Linarite which are overgrowing (and partially pseudomorphing) a solitary cubic crystal of Galena measuring 1.4 cm. You can see there is a bit of Quartz and Fluorite on the piece as well. The combination of strong colors and rare species is always popular in the mineral collecting world, and Linarite certainly meets both criteria. Classic material, and certainly distinctive, as these pieces are instantly recognizable. From the collection of William ("Bill") (1927-2006) and Anne (1928-2021) Cook of Cleveland, Ohio (#1610). 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