Mellite (rare organic mineral)

Item Description

An attractive sharp, single crystals of the rare organic mineral species Mellite from the classic locality, the Csordakúti Mine in Hungary. The piece is a well-formed octahedral crystal of a sandy-brown color, free of matrix. Overall, the piece is in excellent shape, with only one small rough spot I can find. A very fine thumbnail specimen of this unique and rare material.
From the collection of William ("Bill") (1927-2006) and Anne (1928-2021) Cook of Cleveland, Ohio (#3914). 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. The rare barium lithium beryllium phosphate Wilancookite was named in their honor in 2015.