Cave Calcite (ex Bill and Anne Cook Collection)

Item Description

A classic and dramatically showy display specimen of the famous Calcite stalactites that formed in the caves at Santa Eulalia. The piece features a central column with dozens of tiny crystallized faces on all sides, which plays host to beautiful and three-dimensional branching "arms" that flare out in multipe directions. The color ranges from a gentle white to a light eggshell or cream colored hue. No major damage, save the base where the piece was removed from the pocket wall. 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.