“AMERICAN MINERAL TREASURES”, edited by Gloria Staebler, Wendell Wilson, and several others.  This new book measures 13” X 9 3/4” (336 X 250 mm), with 360 pages, extra heavy weight, glossy paper, color and B & W illustrations, cloth binding.  Contributors include Arlene Bentley, Bob Cook, Bob Jackson, Bob Jones, Bryan Lees, Carl Francis, Dan Kile, Dan Weinrich, Doug Toland, Gene Meieran, George Robinson, George Witters, Joe Kielbaso, John Marshall, Julian Gray, Jose Santamaria, Ken Carlsen, Lance Kearns, Les Presmyk, Mark Jacobson, Pete Knudsen, Janet Clifford, Paul Harter, Steve Neely, Terry Ledford, Tom Hanna, Van King, Wayne Sorenson, Wayne Thompson, and Wendell Wilson.  Illustrations include the works of expert photographers Jeff Scovil, Wendell Wilson, Harold and Erica Van Pelt, John Smolski, and Kevin Dixon.

American Mineral Treasures is the long-awaited book inspired by the 2008 Tucson Gem & Mineral Show's massive exhibit project featuring the best specimens from the 44 greatest mineral localities in the United States.  Editors Gloria Staebler of ExtraLapis English, and Wendell Wilson of The Mineralogical Record, have worked with over 40 authors to produce a stunning and fascinating review of all of the localities, abundantly illustrated with beautiful specimen photography and filled with personal collecting stories and narratives.  Apollo Astronaut Harrison Schmitt (the only geologist ever to walk on the Moon) leads off the book with a Foreword about the thrill of field collecting,  Wendell Wilson provides an introductory review of the history of mineral collecting in the United States.  The focus of the book is a presentation of data on each of the 44 localities featured – data includes the geographical location, history of the mine or mining district, geology, mineralogy, important finds, etc., as pertinent to each locality, along with color photos of some of the best minerals found at each locality, photos of the mine sites or collecting sites, maps, and much more!  Gene Meieran provides an Afterword about the history and development of this extraordinary publishing project.  This book is one of those rare milestones in the history of mineral publishing that every mineral collector will have to own.  Printing was limited to about 5,000 copies, so don’t wait until later to get a copy of the most important collection of data and photos of the top American mineral collecting localities ever produced in one volume. Printed by Lithographie, LLC, East Hampton, CT, USA, 2008.

Shipping weight:  7 pounds
Order  Item No: BK0005
Price:  $85.00

"ANTIQUE MINING EQUIPMENT AND COLLECTIBLES",  By D. Pearson and R. Bommarito, 172 pages, 11” X 8 1/2”, more than 450 color photos, pictorial soft cover.  This book was conceived as an attempt to provide collectors, dealers, and the general public with one readily available source to refer to, for information and current values about mining equipment and collectibles.  In some geographical areas mining artifacts are looked upon as oddities and often go wanting for buyers.  With the advent of the internet and online auction buying, times are changing and the selling of many overlooked items is now being actively pursued on the internet.  With this in mind, the authors have provided an overview of the types of mining memorabilia that are generally found in basements, garages, old mine sites, and etc.  The topics include a wealth of information on miniatures, bottles, tobacco tins, assay equipment, books, candlesticks, carbide lamps, clothing, explosive gear (cap tins, powder boxes, and detonators), fraternal and political badges, grease lamps, gold screens, hand tools, heavy equipment, jewelry, knives and guns, lunch pails, metal signs, oil lamps, ore samples and nuggets, paper (catalogs, checks, deeds and claim documents, government publications, script, and stock certificates), phones and communication equipment, historical photographs, prospecting gear, safety lamps, scales (assaying scales, pocket scales, and weight sets), spoons, strong boxes, surveying equipment, tokens (tool checks), and other mining collectibles.  The book is fully indexed, and contains a wealth of information on the life of miners and their and mining equipment and tools in the days when the American old west was open to prospecting and mining for the individual fortune hunter, as well as a source of income for those willing to risk life and limb underground for their daily sustenance.  Published by Schiffer Publishing Ltd., Atglen, PA, 2002.
Order Item BK0011
Shipping weight:  3 pounds
Price:  $29.95

"CAMBRIDGE GUIDE TO MINERALS, ROCKS, AND FOSSILS", By A. Bishop, A. Woolley, and W. Hamilton, second edition, 8” X 5”, 336 pages, pictorial soft cover.  Photography is by the staff of the British Museum (Natural History).  Line drawings and crystal drawings have been prepared by Oxford illustrators.  An invaluable handbook for amateur collectors and specialists alike, this book is small and compact enough to carry in the pocket or backpack. This field guide is divided into three sections, namely minerals, rocks (including meteorites and tektites), and fossils.  Each section has a basic introduction so the reader can familiarize himself with the subject.  The introduction to the mineral section contains information on the growth of crystals, structure of minerals, crystal symmetry, the crystal systems, physical properties (density, hardness, etc.), optical properties, chemistry of minerals, and notes on the field occurrence of mineral deposits.  This is followed by 130 pages covering the individual descriptions of the minerals, each with data on the crystal system, habit, specific gravity, hardness, cleavage fracture, color and transparency, streak, luster, distinguishing features, and geological occurrences where each mineral can be expected to be found in the field.  Over 600 color photographs are provided, accompanied by several hundred crystal drawings.  This is a field guide, designed to assist the collector in finding, and collecting minerals and identifying them – it does not list worldwide localities where the minerals have been found.  The purpose is to get the reader out and about to find his own, and then to use the information keys in the book to identify what has been found.  The section on rocks is extremely informative, with a basic explanation of the formation of igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rock types, followed by nearly 60 pages of information on the various rock types.  Each rock type is illustrated in color, accompanied by a description which includes tips on color, the color index number, texture, structure, mineralogy, and field relations / associations.  The section on fossils covers how they were formed, classification guidelines, and basic information about collecting and studying fossils.  All of the basic types of fossils are illustrated and described – sponges, corals, mollusks (including ammonites, brachiopods, trilobites, etc.), vertebrates (including fish, reptiles, mammals), and fossil land plants (ferns, trees, etc.). A geological time scale is provided, and the book is meticulously indexed.  Published by the University of Cambridge, England, 2001.
Shipping weight:  2 pounds
Order Item BK0025
Price:   $22.95

NEW TITLE
“CHINA II” – SPECIAL ISSUE OF THE “MINERALOGIAL RECORD” MAGAZINE -- Edited by Wendell Wilson, 11” X 8”, 88 pages, Jan-Feb 2007, Vol. 38, No. 1, soft cover.  This excellent and informative special issue of the “Mineralogical Record” magazine covers the following special topics / localities:

• Chinese Stibnite: Xikuangshan, Lushi, Wuning and other localities
• The Pingtouling Mine, Liannan County, Guangdong Province
• The Fengjiashan Mine, Daye district, Ezhou Prefecture, Hubei Province
• The Shimen Mine, Jiepaiyu, Shimen County, Hunan Province
• The Xianghuapu Mines, Chenzhou Prefecture, Hunan Province
• Red Wulfenite from the Kuruktag Mountains, Xinjiang Uygur
• Ottensite: a new mineral from Qinglong, Guizhou Province

Order Item MR38-1
Shipping weight:  2 pounds
Price:  $20.00

NEW TITLE
“COLLECTING FLUORESCENT MINERALS”, By Stuart Schneider, 192 pages, 8 1/2” X 11”, with 846 color photos on high quality glossy paper, pictorial soft cover.  Since collecting fluorescent minerals is a visual experience, the author has dedicated an enormous amount of time to preparing the 846 color photographs in the book.   Illustrations include several very interesting photographs of the mine dumps at both Franklin and Sterling Hill, however, he has featured more than 800 color photos of fluorescent mineral specimens in both daylight, as well as under shortwave and / or longwave ultraviolet.  The first chapter covers tips on field collecting, definitions of some of the common terms used in collecting fluorescent and phosphorescent minerals, notes on crystallized and massive fluorescent minerals, and comments about the various ultraviolet lamps used in collecting fluorescent minerals.  The second chapter contains information on important fluorescent mineral producing localities – Franklin / Sterling Hill, New Jersey, Mont St. Hilaire and Oka in Canada, the Purple Passion Mine and other localities in Yavapai County, Arizona, Balmat, New York, localities in California and Mexico, followed by information on several collecting localities in southern Greenland.  Chapter three describes classic fluorescent minerals, i.e., minerals most often found represented in fluorescent mineral collections, and also gives information on collecting radioactive minerals.  All of the above is in the first 31 pages!  Chapter four, i.e., pages 32 through 189, contains the color illustrations – a fantastic collection of color photographs of fluorescent minerals illustrated in both daylight, as well as in either SW or LW UV.  Several close-up photos are included, and a few examples illustrate phosphorescence or tenebrescence.  Very important -- a color chart is included, covering the 28 basic, i.e., most often encountered fluorescent colors.   Each color in the chart has a 1” X 1” square box with the color reproduced inside the box, and the word (like purple-blue) written inside the colored box.  No more confusion about fluorescent colors!  This handy chart will undoubtedly become a worldwide standard reference for collectors in the future.  The final chapter includes information on collecting organizations, clubs, and museums where fluorescent mineral collections are on display, a list of mineral dealers, and a list of mineral lights and other supplies, followed with a brief section on mining collectibles.  The index is very thorough, including the names of the minerals, as well as key localities where fluorescent minerals have been found.  This book contains a wealth of information and should appeal to the beginner, as well as to the advanced collector.  Published by Schiffer Publishing, Ltd., Atglen, PA, 2004.
Shipping weight:  3 pounds
Order Item BK0035
Price:  $29.95

Also by the same author:  “The World of Fluorescent Minerals”