Quartz var: Rose (rare locality specimen)

Item Description

Here we have a significant specimen of Rose Quartz labeled as coming from Plumbago Mountain in Maine. For those who don't know, the entry on mindat.org reports that, "The first Rose Quartz crystals known in the world were found at Mount Mica Quarry about 1913-1915". While the Mount Mica Quarry is located about 40 miles southeast of Plumbago Mountain, this piece is from an area where some of the first examples of Rose Quartz were ever discovered. Although Brazil has been synonymous with Rose Quartz for decades, it wasn't actually discovered until 1958, so Rose Quartz was known from Maine for over 40 years before it was ever found in Brazil. This piece is a wonderful locality specimen featuring a patch of sharp, lustrous, gemmy, beautiful pink colored Rose Quartz crystals sitting on a matrix of beige colored Albite var: Cleavelandite. Rose Quartz specimens from Maine are difficult to find on the market, and if you're a Quartz collector, a New England mineral collector, or just a fan of pegmatite minerals, don't miss out on this attractive and seldom-seen example from the oldest gem mining area in the US. From the collection of William ("Bill") (1927-2006) and Anne (1928-2021) Cook of Cleveland, Ohio (#XXXX). 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. The rare barium lithium beryllium phosphate Wilancookite was named in their honor in 2015.