Orpiment (ex Bill and Anne Cook Collection)

Item Description

The Orpiment specimens from the El'brusskiy Arsenic Mine in Russia are some of the richest examples of the species that you'll ever see. Unlike the typical orange or yellow hues seen in the species, the El'brusskiy pieces are often much closer to RED. This piece is a classic example of these beautiful specimens featuring a rich coverage of small, richly colored Orpiment crystals on the front, and the contacted areas show a golden hue on the back. These pieces came out a couple decades ago, and you don't see them anymore on the market. 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.