Opal pseudomorph after Mussel Shell (ex Bill and Anne Cook Collection)

Item Description

A wonderful Opalized mussel shell pseudomorph / fossil from the famous locality at Coober Pedy, in South Australia, Australia. The piece is complete all around, and is notably well-preserved, showing slightly gemmy thin patches of Opal on the edges. I've seen a fair number of clam shell fossils from this area, but the mussel shells are notably less common in my experience. 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.