Brithiolite-(Ce) (rare)

Item Description

A hard to find association specimen from the Kipawa Alkaline Complex in Québec, featuring dark brown crystals of Brithiolite-(Ce) mixed in Mica matrix (possibly Muscovite or Phlogopite) along with tiny pyramidal crystals of light pinkish-brown Zircon (which show an orange fluorescence under UV light). The piece is accompanied by a few labels from Gene and Sharon Cisneros. From the collection of William ("Bill") (1927-2006) and Anne (1928-2021) Cook of Cleveland, Ohio (#7472) (with an accompanying label stating the piece was originally in the collection of the great mineral dealer and collector, Ed Swoboda). 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.