Muscovite var: Fuchsite and Sillimanite pseudomorphing after Corundum var: Ruby

Item Description

A really interesting an seldom-seen pseudomorph from India featuring rich green, platy Muscovite var: Fuchsite along with off-white colored, chatoyant Sillimanite, which are replacing / coating / pseudomorphing blocky, hexagonal crystals of Ruby from a locality called Mercara near Mysore, India. If you flip the piece over, you'll see that part of the original dark purplish-red Ruby still exists in the center of the pseudomorph, but the exterior, has in part been replaced by Fuchsite. A showy and interesting specimen that would make a great addition to any pseudomorph suite. From the collection of William ("Bill") (1927-2006) and Anne (1928-2021) Cook of Cleveland, Ohio (#13611-a). 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.