Opal (RARE locality specimen) (ex Bill and Anne Cook Collection)

Item Description

A very hard to find Opal specimen from the Sheepyard Opal Field, which according to mindat.org lies about 10 km southeast of the Glengarry Opal Field in New South Wales, Australia. This is the only specimen of Opal that we've ever had to offer from this locality. This piece features attractive banded Opal is various shades of blue, which range from a soft grey-blue color to a medium chalky blue, to a very dark blue-black hue. There is one thin ribbon of glowing electric blue Opal on the edge of the piece, which is the highlight of the specimen. This piece is honestly unlike any other Opal I've seen from Australia, as we're typically accustomed to seeing pieces with a lot more vivid color flash. If you're a fan of Opals, this is definitely not your run-of-the-mill specimen, so don't miss out on picking up a unique piece from an obscure locale. 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.