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NEW TITLE 
“HANDBOOK OF ROCKS, MINERALS  & GEMSTONES”
- By Walter Schumann, 7 1/2” x 5”, 380 pages, illustrated with 600 color photos, as well as numerous black & white photos, tables, graphs, soft cover.  This comprehensive guide to rocks, minerals and gemstones is highly illustrated and very easy to use.  The introduction discusses the basics of mineralogy and provides a list of general features used in the identification of rocks and minerals.  This is followed by a comprehensive description of each rock and mineral, including their history, origin and structure, composition, properties, classification, and where they are found in North America as well as throughout the world.  The 600 stunning color photographs, a unique collection amassed from around the world, are opposite the text and are reproduced at approximately life size, to aid identification.  Chapters include: the science of minerals, rock-forming minerals, ore-forming minerals, minerals as gemstones, introduction to petrology, igneous rocks, sedimentary rocks, metamorphic rocks, and meteorites.  The appendix includes hints for collectors, a table of chemical elements, mineral determinative tables, aids to the identification of rocks, and much more.  Published by Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston and New York, 1993.
Order Item BK0295
Shipping weight:  2 pounds
Price:  $22.00

"HISTORY OF MINERAL COLLECTING, WITH NOTES ON 1,200 EARLY MINERAL COLLECTORS, THE " - By Wendell E. Wilson, 264 pages, 8 1/2 X 11" size, soft cover, illustrated. A collection of many more than 100 black and white, historically interesting photographs, portraits, and line drawings of the earliest known mineral collectors are reproduced in this amazing work, which covers the period between 1530 and 1799 A.D. The color, as well as black and white reproductions of early-day drawings of fine mineral specimens are tremendously interesting, and the book also includes color photographs of several historically interesting specimens which were mined during the early days of mineral collecting, and are still preserved in modern day collections. There is a 28-page bibliography of historically important mineral collection catalogues, arranged alphabetically by collector, as well as a general bibliography with 469 entries covering both books and articles pertaining to mineral collecting/mining activities during this period. A comprehensive, three page review of this book appears in "Rocks and Minerals" magazine, Jan-Feb 1995, P. 51-53. This soft cover book was published by the Mineralogical Record, Inc., Tucson, AZ, as Volume 25, No. 6 -- the November-December 1994 special issue entitled "The History of Mineral Collecting".
Order Item: MR25-6
Shipping weight: 3 pounds
Price: $24.00

“IDAHO MINERALS – THE COMPLETE REFERENCE AND GUIDE TO THE MINERALS OF IDAHO”,  SECOND EDITION, By Lanny R. Ream, 373 pages, 9” X 6”, illustrated with many color photos of mineral specimens found within the State of Idaho, including maps to collecting sites, crystal drawings, soft cover.  The author is a recognized authority on Idaho minerals and mineral collecting localities.  His purpose is to make the information on the mineralogy of Idaho available to all those who are curious about the natural world, and especially to those who study and collect minerals.  Special chapters are included covering the mineralogy of the Coeur d’Alene Mining District, the Blackbird Mining District, and the Sawtooth Mountains.  The Coeur d’Alene Mining District is the world’s largest silver-producing mining district, and has also been one of the best sources of secondary lead minerals, including world class specimens of Pyromorphite, Cerussite, and Anglesite.  The Blackbird Mining District is the only significant occurrence of cobalt in the USA, and has produced some excellent specimens of Vivianite and Ludlamite.  The granites of the Sawtooth Mountains have produced beautifully crystallized Beryl Var. Aquamarine specimens, as well as Fluorapatite, Allanite, Helvite, Ilmenite, Fluorite, Magnetite, Titanite, and Zircon. Mineral descriptions have been updated from the first edition to include new localities, many rare minerals that are new for Idaho, and additional information on localities originally published in the first edition.  The mineral descriptions are supplemented by numerous color photographs of both macro- and micro-mineral specimens, most of which were taken by the author.  The photographs are of excellent quality, and serve both to complement the extensive mineral descriptions, and to provide an aid to identification of mineral specimens from the various localities described.  Following an 18 page bibliography, the author has compiled an extensive 40 page index covering the minerals and all of the mines and mining districts within the state.  Published by the Museum of North Idaho, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, 2004.
Order Item BK0340S

Shipping weight:  3 pounds
Price:  $27.95

“IKONS, CLASSIC AND CONTEMPORARY MASTERPIECES OF MINERALOGY” – by Wayne A. Thompson, 11” x 8”, 192 pages, soft cover.  This special supplement to the “Mineralogical Record” magazine is intended to provide a better understanding of a very esoteric subject – the collecting of “world-class” mineral specimens.  By definition, a “world-class” specimen is one that is suitable for inclusion in the world’s finest mineral collections.  Some specimens have an unforgettable visual presence.  Some combine exceptional quality with important provenance and historical significance.  Others are simply the finest of their type.  The common unifying factor is the exceptional quality of each piece.  The author provides a brief discussion of the factors that determine the desirability of mineral specimens – aesthetics, condition, rarity, associations, matrix, provenance, ranking, crystal size, specimen size, species values, and investment potential of minerals, followed by some practical suggestions for collectors who wish to personally build world-class collections.  The chapter entitled “Gallery of World Class Mineral Specimens” contains 150 pages of breathtaking photographs of finest quality mineral specimens from worldwide localities.  For each outstanding entry, the specimen’s  size is given along with historical data, information on the mine / locality, known owners, list of journals where photos of the specimen were included, and references.  Each of the world class specimens is illustrated with a full page color photograph – stunning, to say the least!  Published by the Mineralogial Record, Tucson, Arizona, 2007.
Order Item BK0343
Shipping weight:  2 pounds
Price:  $35.00

NEW TITLE
ILMENY MOUNTAINS (RUSSIA): Mineralogy of Pegmatites
, by Vladimir A. Popov, and Valentina I. Popova.  This new English language book is Volume 9 of the Mineralogical Almanac famous mineral localities series with 156 pages, 27 historical photos, 34 graphs and tables, 69 crystal drawings, and 120 color photos of minerals, 10 1/2” X 8 1/2”, soft cover.  Volume 9 of the Mineralogical Almanac is devoted to an extraordinary mineralogical occurrence -- the Ilmeny Mountains in the Southern Urals of Russia.  Mineralogists call it a “Mineralogical Paradise" due to the diversity of minerals found there.  During almost two centuries of investigation 227 minerals have been found there and, for 18 minerals, the occurrences within the Ilmeny Mountains are the type localities.  In addition to the well-known minerals such as Topaz, Tourmaline, Zircon, Ilmenite, Phenakite, and Microcline variety Amazonite, there are many rare earth-bearing minerals, rare oxides, phosphates, and silicates, to name a few. The Ilmeny Mountains issue contains a historical review, geological and mineralogical descriptions of key Ilmeny pegmatites based both upon previous investigations, as well as recent discoveries made by the authors.  Printed in Russia, in English.  Published by the Mineralogical Almanac and Ocean Pictures, Ltd., Russia and Colorado, USA, 2006. 
Shipping weight:  2 pounds
Order Item BK-0345
Price:  $49.95

 

Additional volumes in the Mineralogical Almanac series on famous mineral localities, available from us, are:

Vol. 4 --  Dal’negorsk mining district in the Primorskiy Kray, Far Eastern Russia    
Vol. 5 -- Murzinka gem-bearing pegmatite region of the Ural Mountains  
Vol. 7 -- Kukisvumchorr in the Khibiny Alkaline Massif, Kola Peninsula 
Vol. 8 –  Minerals of the Kerch Iron-Ore Basin in Eastern Crimea 
Vol. 9 –  Ilmeny Mountians (Russia): Mineralogy of Pegmatites   
Vol. 14 -- Ural (Russia) Emerald Mines                                                                          
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“INTRODUCTION TO MINERAL SCIENCES” - By Andrew Putnis, 11 X 8 1/2” size, 457 pages, illustrated with 50 halftones, 400 line diagrams, and pictorial color cover. The author explains the principles underlying the modern study of minerals, discussing the behavior of crystalline materials with changes in temperature, pressure, and chemical environment. The concepts required to understand mineral behavior are often complex, but are presented here in simple, non-mathematical terms for mineralogy/crystallography students. After introductory chapters describing the principles of diffraction, imaging, and the spectroscopic methods used to study minerals, the structure and behavior of the main groups of rock-forming minerals are covered, and the role of defects in the deformation and transformation of a mineral are explained. The energy changes and the rate of transformation processes are introduced using a descriptive approach, rather than attempting a complete and rigorous treatment of the thermodynamics and kinetics. Examples and case histories from a range of mineral groups are set in an earth science context, such that the emphasis of this book is to allow the mineralogy student to develop an intuitive understanding of the structural principles controlling the behavior of minerals. Contents: Periodicity and Symmetry, Anisotropy and Physical Properties, Diffraction and Imaging, Spectroscopic Methods, The Crystal Structure of Minerals, Defects in Minerals, Energetics and Mineral Stability, Kinetics of Mineral Processes, Transformation Processes in Minerals. A complete bibliography, and references are appended, as well as an extensive index. Published by Cambridge University Press, England and the USA, 1992. 
Shipping weight:  Soft cover   4 pounds                            
Order Item: BK0350S (Soft Cover) Price:  $75.00

NEW TITLE
“INTRODUCTION TO RADIOACTIVE MINERALS
”, By Dr. Robert J. Lauf, 144 pages, 11” X 8 1/2”, soft cover, illustrated with 196 color, and b/w photos.  Collectors have long admired uranium and thorium minerals for their brilliant colors, the intense ultraviolet fluorescence of many of them, and their rich variety of habits and associates.  Radioactive minerals are also critically important as our source of nuclear energy. Understanding them is crucial to the safe disposal of radioactive waste.
This book provides a systematic overview of the mineralogy of uranium and thorium-bearing minerals, generously illustrated with nearly 200 color photos and electron micrographs of representative specimens.  Dr. Lauf has also included an historical discussion of the discovery of radioactive elements and the development of uranium and thorium ore deposits, a discussion of the geochemical conditions that produce significant deposits, and a description of important localities, their geological setting and history.
Major occurrences of interest to mineral collectors are arranged geographically. The minerals are arranged systematically, to emphasize how they fit into chemical groups, and for each group several minerals are selected to illustrate their formation and general characteristics.
This book is an invaluable guide for mineral collectors, particularly those specializing in collecting fluorescent minerals.  With the resurgence of interest in nuclear power, the book will also provide valuable information for nuclear scientists and engineers interested in radioactive deposits.
Published by Schiffer Publishing, Ltd., Atglen, PA, 2007.
ISBN: 9780764329128
Shipping weight:  3 pounds
Order Item BK0351
Price:  $29.95

T_BK0352.JPG (10607 bytes) "IONIC COMPOUNDS - APPLICATIONS OF CHEMISTRY TO MINERALOGY" - By Claude H. Yoder, 108 pages, 11 X 8 1/2" size, illustrated, plastic ring binding, pictorial soft cover. This highly readable introduction to ionic compounds is designed for the reader who wants to gain a better understanding of the concepts that are used by the chemist and mineralogist in their attempts to unravel the mysteries of nature. One of the author’s major objectives is to provide an introduction to the relationships between the external symmetry of crystals and structure at the atomic level. He has made considerable use of the closest-packing model and, from it, to develop symmetry and the unit cell. This is followed by a discussion of the factors that affect the symmetry of the unit cell. The basic premise of the format of the booklet is that learning is enhanced by the reader’s active participation in the material. The author has made considerable use of the excellent computer program CrystalMaker3 for illustrations throughout the booklet. Published by the author, Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, PA, 1999.
Order Item: BK0352
Shipping weight: 2 pounds
Price: $25.00

“JACHYMOV”,  JOURNAL OF THE CZECH GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY, Edited by Dr. Stanislav Vrana, 11 5/8” X 8 1/4”,  in English, 230 pages, with numerous black & white, as well as color photos, crystal drawings, and SEM’s of the minerals, soft cover.  Your first question is probably…  why would we recommend a book covering such an obscure locality in Czechoslovakia??  Well, read on!  “Jachymov” is the result of years of hard scientific work, and it is the most comprehensive publication about the mines and minerals of the Jachymov Silver and Uranium district ever written.  Jachymov (known as Joachimsthal in old literature) gained world renown through important achievements and discoveries associated with mining and scientific activities during five centuries of exploitation of the ore deposits.  Most recently, the mines at Jachymov were the key producers of the uranium-bearing minerals used by the Russians during the cold war arms race with the USA.  On an historical note, for a part of the 16th century, Jachymov ranked as the largest Silver producer in the world.  It was the Uraninite from Jachymov on which Maria Sklodowska (Madam Curie) first isolated and discovered two new elements – Polonium and Radium – in 1898.  More than 380 minerals have been identified from Jachymov to date, and the current studies will eventually bring this number up to over 400!  This in-depth report covers the geology of the Jachymov ore district, followed by 137 pages of mineral descriptions with many more than 100 color photos, SEM’s, and crystal drawings.   The next chapter covers the ore-forming processes and mineral parageneses of the Jachymov district.  The chapter on “Who was who in Jachymov mineralogy” presents historical information concerning the discovery of primary minerals first described from Jachymov.  The biographic information about important people after whom the minerals were named goes back to the 17th century, and includes photographs or portraits of most of these important people. The final chapter covers the history of discovery and study of new primary minerals, and includes photographs of two old labels from mineral specimens recovered in the 1800’s, now in the National Museum of Prague.  Published by the Czech Geological Society, 2003, Prague, Czech Republic.

Shipping weight:  3 pounds
Order Item BK0353
Price:  $125.00

“KATANGA! … URANIUM DEPOSITS”, By G. Gautier, A. Francois, M. Deliens, and P. Piet, 11” X 8”, 63 pages, with 19 color photographs, 12 crystal drawings, several maps and tables, soft cover.  The primary article of interest in this special issue of the “Mineralogical Record” magazine is entitled “Famous Mineral Localities: the Uranium Deposits of the Shaba (Katanga) Region, Zaire”.   Since the days of Stanley and Livingstone, the Shaba region has been known as one of the world’s great mineralized areas.  A crescent shaped deposit about 300 km in length and nearly 50 km wide extends from the town of Kolwezi in the west, to the city of Lubumbashi in the east.  This area is the location of several very important Uranium mines, including familiar names like Shinkolobwe, Swambo, Kamoto, Mashamba-West, Luiswishi, and Musonoi.  The mining history is given in some detail, including notes on the production of Copper and Uranium ores in the Katanga region.  The general geology of the district is given, including a stratigraphical map of the Katanga System.  Four of the most important mines are then discussed in detail, accompanied by geological maps and black & white photos of the mine sites.  Data is then given on each of the important minerals – primary minerals, then secondary Uranium minerals.  This section is accompanied by 19 exquisite color photographs illustrating many of the secondary Uranium-bearing minerals, along with a dozen crystal drawings.  The color photos and crystal drawings will be of prime importance to anyone studying and / or collecting secondary Uranium-bearing minerals, as an aid in visual identification of the minerals from the various mines of the region.  Four tables accompany the text, each containing a list of the minerals found at one of the following mines: Shinkolobwe, Swambo, Musonoi, and Kamoto.  The authors have included a large list of references, for further reading.  Two other articles are included in this special issue of the “Mineralogical Record” magazine – “Rome Delisle and His Bibliography”, by W. Wilson, and “Additions and Corrections to the Glossary of Mineral Species, 5th Edition (1987)” by M. Fleischer.  Published by the Mineralogical Record, Inc., Tucson, Arizona, as the special issue on Katanga, Volume 20, No. 4, July-August 1989.

Shipping weight:  2 pounds
Order Item MR20-4
Price:  $20.00

bk0354.jpg (63933 bytes)

NEW TITLE
“KUKISVUMCHORR” (KHIBINY ALKALINE MASSIF, KOLA PENINSULA, RUSSIA) – By I. Pekov and A. Podlesnyi.  This is Volume 7 of the Mineralogical Almanac, printed in English, 10 1/2” X 8 1/2”, 140 pages, 107 color plates, pictorial soft cover.  This book is dedicated to one of the most amazing mineralogical sites in the world.  The number of mineral species recognized from this locality is close to 450, with more than 70 of them first discovered here.  Included are a geological and petrological sketch, history of exploration and development (including numerous black and white photos of mining activities and important people for whom minerals were named), mineralogy of alkaline pegmatites and hydrothermalites, followed by 75 pages covering data on all of the known mineral species.  The data on the mineral species is accompanied by more than 60 black and white (SEM) photos of the minerals, and an equal number of crystal drawings.  Tables, with analysis of the chemical composition of many of the minerals, are also included.  A chapter on   geochemical and genetic features of the late mineralization is followed by an extensive list of references, and the mineral index.  The 107 color plates include color photos of many of the minerals found at this amazing deposit, both large display specimens and, where necessary, close-up views of many of the rare / newly described minerals.  This is Volume 7 of the Mineralogical Almanac series.  Published in English by the Mineralogical Almanac and Ocean Pictures, Ltd., Moscow, Russia, 2004.

Order Item BK0354
Shipping weight:  2 pounds
Price:  $49.95

Additional volumes in the Mineralogical Almanac series on famous mineral localities, available from us, are:

Vol. 4 --  Dal’negorsk mining district in the Primorskiy Kray, Far Eastern Russia    
Vol. 5 -- Murzinka gem-bearing pegmatite region of the Ural Mountains  
Vol. 7 -- Kukisvumchorr in the Khibiny Alkaline Massif, Kola Peninsula 
Vol. 8 –  Minerals of the Kerch Iron-Ore Basin in Eastern Crimea 
Vol. 9 –  Ilmeny Mountians (Russia): Mineralogy of Pegmatites   
Vol. 14 -- Ural (Russia) Emerald Mines                                                                          
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b_langban.jpg (20918 bytes) NEW TITLE 
"LANGBAN – The Mines, Their Minerals, Geology and Explorers" – D. Holtstam and J. Langhof (editors), authored by 10 distinguished mineralogists, geologists, and historians, all experts on this historically important mining district. The book has 219 pages, 9" X 12", hardcover, with pictorial full color dust jacket. More than 200 illustrations are included, of which about 115 are mineral photographs in full color. Langban, a unique iron and manganese deposit, is one of the world’s greatest mineralogical occurrences, with nearly 270 mineral species reported to date. Many of these minerals are unique to the Langban deposit, and 67 minerals were first found at this world-famous mineral locality. The Table of Contents lists a Foreword by Paul B. Moore, Introduction by the editors, followed by: General Geology of the Bergslagen Ore Region, Geology of the Langban Deposit, Some Aspects of the Origin of the Deposit, Langban’s Mining History, Mineralogists and Collectors, The Langban Minerals, Collecting at Langban, and a Bibliography with 567 references. The section covering the Langban minerals is most important with individual mineral descriptions (accompanied by color photos), carefully documenting the physical characteristics of each species in each of its known assemblages and locations at Langban, and listing the associated species in each assemblage. The book is concluded with a three part appendix, including the following: I. A systematic list of the Langban minerals, II. Synonyms, varietial and obsolete mineral names in Langban mineralogy, and III. A list of fluorescent minerals from Langban. Published by Raster Forlag, and the Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, 2000. For additional information, see the write-up in the July-August 2000 issue of the "Mineralogical Record" magazine, P. 354.
Order Item: BK0355
Shipping weight: 4 pounds
Price: $75.00

"LAURION -  THE MINERALS IN THE ANCIENT SLAGS"  
By: P. Gelaude, P. van Kalmthout, and C. Rewitzer 9 1/2 X 6 3/4”, 195 pages, illustrated with 200 color photographs, several maps, and numerous crystal drawings, pictorial soft cover. The aim of this book is to explain, in simple terms, how the minerals were formed thousands of years ago in the ancient slags at Laurion,  and to give collectors a visual impression by providing color photographs of each of the minerals found at the locality.  The book gives explicit descriptions of the topography and ore deposits of the area, combined with an accounting of the fascinating history of mining and smelting techniques dating back 5,000 years.  Of special interest to mineral collectors are the descriptions of the different types of slag that were produced in the different localities around Laurion, with an excellent account of where a visitor to the area might productively collect today.   
The main attraction of this book is undoubtedly the color photographs of the minerals.  Although many of the specimens are small and difficult to photograph, the standard of photography is very high. Each color photograph is accompanied by a brief description of the species, chemical composition, associates, and other pertinent data.  Of particular interest to collectors of slag minerals from other localities (England, Germany, Italy, and others) is the similarity with some of the suites of minerals which can be collected at Laurion.  Unquestionably, the main function of the book is as an aid to visual identification of these minerals.   Published by Janssen Print, The Netherlands, 1996.

The Table of Contents lists the following:  
  • Introduction 
  • Topography  
  • Rocks, Ore Deposits, and Minerals of Laurion  
  • Mining in the Laurion  
  • From Galenite, to Litharge, Slags, Silver and Lead  
  • Slags and Slag Minerals  
  • Slag Locations  
  • Technical Description of Photos  
  • Chemical Classification of the 99 Known Slag Minerals    
  • Crystal Illustrations  
  • Photos and Descriptions of the Slag Minerals  

Multi-lingual printed in English, German, French, and Dutch with color photos.   
Order Item: BK0360
Shipping weight: 2 pounds      
Price:  $35. 

NEW TITLE
"LOVOZERO MASSIF (RUSSIA): HISTORY, PEGMATITES, MINERALS"
 By Igor V. Pekov. This new book, published in English, includes 480 pages, 11 1/2" X 8 3/4" size, cloth binding, with 260 color plates, 98 historical b/w photos, crystal drawings, SEM-Photos, and geological schematic structure maps of several of the important pegmatites. The Lovozero Massif is an amazing phenomenon of nature and this long awaited, comprehensive treatise on the history, development, and mineralogy of this renowned, mineralogically rich region of the Kola Peninsula in Russia will be a classic of the future! In its contents and in details of information, this is a scientific book but, at the same time, its style makes it very readable and understandable for mineral collectors and others who are not professional geologists and / or mineralogists. Topics covered include:
  • Review of geography, including a locality map showing the locations of the mines, and list of place names with spellings in English, and in Cyrillic.
  • Brief geological and petrological review.
  • History of research and exploration, from the 19th Century to the present.
  • Descriptions of the pegmatites, including geological schematic structure maps of several of the important pegmatites, as well as color photographs of many of the localities.
  • Minerals – included is a list of the known mineral species, 222 pages devoted to descriptions of the minerals (with color photos, crystal drawings, analytical data, SEM-Photos), accompanied by data on minerals first discovered in the Lovozero Massif, fluorescent minerals, giant crystals and data on the localities where found.
  • Bibliographic index – includes 500 references.

This book is written for anyone interested in the science of mineralogy and the history of research and exploration of this amazing region – mineralogists, geologists, museum curators, and mineral collectors alike. The list of place names will provide invaluable information to all who have specimens from the Lovozero Massif in their mineral collections, in clarifying the origin of the specimens and providing the correct English language spelling for locality names. Published by Ocean Pictures, Ltd., Moscow, 2001.
Order Item: BK0362
Shipping weight: 5 pounds
Price: $79.00

NEW TITLE
“MAGIC WORLD: INCLUSIONS IN QUARTZ”
, by J. Hyrsl and G. Niedermayr, 11 1/4” X 8 1/2”, 240 pages, illustrated with in excess of  150 color photos, hard cover.  During the growth period of a Quartz crystal, other minerals can often be included in the Quartz.  These can be minerals which were forming simultaneously, or minerals which were present in the vug and were enveloped by the growing Quartz crystal.  This book presents photos of such fascinating inclusions in Quartz.  Quartz is one of the commonest minerals in the crust of the Earth, where it forms an important component of igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks.  Occasionally it also forms superb crystals in pegmatites, Quartz veins, ore deposits, and Alpine type veins.  It also occurs as excellent crystals in solution cavities in some carbonate complexes.  As with all other transparent minerals, Quartz may enclose all sorts of minerals, at times so appealing they produce astonishing specimens. This book attempts to describe all of the 130 minerals known today as inclusions in Quartz.  The accompanying photos support the text and will assist collectors in the identification of the various inclusions in Quartz that might be seen in one’s collection.  The color photos are a collection of the finest photography by more than a dozen world renown mineral photographers.  Printed in Germany, in German and English, 2003.
Order Item BK-0363
Shipping weight:  4 pounds
Price:  $106.50


t_mangan.jpg (12585 bytes) "MANGANESE ADVENTURE, THE" -- The South African Manganese Fields
By: B. Cairncross, N. Beukes, and J. Gutzmer, 12 1/4" X 9 1/2" size, 236 pages, illustrated, gilt hard cover, with dust jacket. The cover illustration (shown at the left) features a superb Rhodochrosite specimen. This new book is illustrated in full color throughout with maps, diagrams, figures, and splendid color plates. Three staff members of the Rand Afrikaans University, Professor B. Cairncross (one of the authors of "Minerals of South Africa"), Professor N. Beukes, and J. Gutzmer, a researcher at the University, have teamed up to produce this exceptional documentation, abundantly illustrated with over 250 color plates, 62 line drawings, maps, and diagrams. The Kalahari and Postmasburg regions of South Africa contain vast reserves of iron and manganese ore that have been mined for the past 60 years. The discovery of these deposits, the subsequent development of the various mines, and the geological evolution of the region, from over 2,000 million years ago, up to the present day, are all topics which are covered in the first half of the book. The second half of the book describes the minerals from the deposits, in detail. "The Manganese Adventure" provides an insight into some of the most spectacular minerals unearthed from this region, from classic mines such as the Wessels and the N’Chwaning. The Kalahari field is most famous for its production of world class crystallized Rhodochrosite, as well as Ettringite, Hematite, and Inesite specimens. A total of 132 species have been identified from the Kalahari field. Eight new mineral species, including Sturmanite, Orlymanite, Vonbezingite, and Poldervaartite, have been described from the Kalahari Manganese Field. The Postmasburg area produced one new species -- Gamagarite. Data on nineteen rare minerals is presented, and the descriptions are accompanied by color plates showing exceptional examples of each of the species. Information is also furnished on several minerals which have not yet been identified. Finally, a comprehensive bibliography provides further reference material covering these famous mineral deposits. There were only 1,200 copies of "The Manganese Adventure" printed -- order immediately, to obtain a copy of this important work on one of the world’s best known, contemporary mineral specimen producing localities. Sponsored by the Associated Ore and Metal Corporation, Ltd., the book was published in Johannesburg, South Africa, 1997. Other books available in this list by Prof. Bruce Cairncross, covering famous African minerals and mineral localities, are: # 8-5. "Minerals of South Africa", and # 10-2. "The Desmond Sacco Collection".
Order Item: BK0365
Shipping weight: 5 pounds   
Price: $145.00

NEW TITLE
“MAROKKO (MOROCCO) – LAND DER SCHONEN MINERALIEN UND FOSSILIEN (COUNTRY OF BEAUTIFUL MINERALS AND FOSSILS)”
, By J. Steffen, R. Bode, P. Lyckberg, O. Medenbach, and H. Lierl, 535 pages, 11” X 8 1/2”, hard cover.  Hundreds of exquisite color photos fill this book – renowned mineral photographers Rainer Bode and Olaf Medenbach have really outdone themselves on this fantastic book. Finally! Minerals and fossils from Morocco have dominated the market since the 1970’s, but up to date, factual mineralogical literature was scarce, and collectors had to live with disparate locality designations for identical material.  The new “Marokko”, remedies these problems by the book’s thorough description of well-known, and some and practically unknown mineral producing localities.  It is a worthwhile book for mineral and fossils collectors as well as for travel aficionados.  The first 22 pages are general travel information, and under descriptions of individual localities, the authors give directions on how to get to the deposits, including where one has to use 4WD vehicles, donkeys, or just walk.  Mineral localities described include such well known, classic mineral specimen producers as Bou Azzer, Bou Skour, Imiter, Mibladen, Midelt, Tachgagalt, Taouz, Tazouta, and Touissit -- there are a total of 34 mineral localities visited.  For each of the mineral localities featured, the authors have given historical data on the mines of the district, a description of the regional geology, maps and tables, description of the minerals found there, and ooooh! – the color pictures are superb!  The text of the book is in German, but one can easily translate the names of the minerals and the basic data on the localities.  To enjoy the photos, no dictionary is needed as the photos defy description, and need no explanation! There are also chapters on meteorites and fossils found at various sites in Morocco, generously illustrated with maps and numerous photos of the various fossils found at each locality. The 60 pages on paleontology emphasize geology and stratigraphy, and chiefly illustrate trilobites.  Moroccan trilobites, goniatites orthoceratites, have dominated the market for inexpensive fossils for years and it is delightful to be able to read a thorough text on the subject.  With a German dictionary, one can read the basics about each of the 34 mineral localities, and numerous fossil localities, in detail. This is an extra high quality printing with heavyweight paper and heavyweight binding.  Published in Germany, Bode Verlag GmbH, 2003.
Order Item: BK-0366
Shipping weight:  6 pounds
Price:  $175.00


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