Orpiment

Item Description

Please note that this specimen was erroneously labeled as coming from Pasto Bueno, but it is most certainly from Quiruvilca. These classic specimens are the finest examples of Orpiment from any locality in South America, and certainly rank among the better examples of the species worldwide. They were found a few decades ago (late 1970s - early 1980s), and they have stood the test of time in terms of their crystal size, quality, color and morphology. The famous Quiruvilca Mine is well-known for its sulfide minerals, and these Orpiments are certainly in the upper tiers of minerals from this locality. This piece features a beautiful group of sharp, well-formed, rich orange colored prismatic crystals of Orpiment creating a showy full-sized thumbnail specimen. From the collection of William ("Bill") (1927-2006) and Anne (1928-2021) Cook of Cleveland, Ohio (#2612). 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.