BOOKS


Recommended Reading

  • Simon & Shuster's Rocks and Minerals   
    ISBN 0-671-24417-5 
    ~An excellent field guide with many illustrations & photos.

  • Rocks and Minerals - A Guide to field Identification 
    a Golden Field Guide from St. Martin's Press 
    ISBN 1-58238-124-0 
    ~A very informative field guide with clear description & diagrams and references to crystallography.

  • Mineralogy by John Sinkankas 
    ~The study of mineralogy is covered in detail, in a very readable manner

  • Prospecting for Gemstones and Minerals by John Sinkakas 
    ISBN 0-442-27620-6 
    ~Useful guide for the amateur prospector and a reference tool for professional mineralogists, geologists, gemologists and collectors.

  • Dana's Minerals and how to study them by the late E.S. Dana, revised by C.S. Hurlbut Jr. 
    ~A good guide for the beginner who is interested in knowing more about collections & how to organize them

  • Glossary of Mineral Species by Fleisher and Mandarino 
    ~This is a list of all minerals known to date, with their chemical formulae and other brief information. Updated every four years, and indispensable as a checklist or to find out what your specimens are made of.

  • Dictionary of Geological Terms prepared by The American Geological Institute 
    ISBN 0-385-18101-9 
    ~A dictionary which contains accurate definitions without technical jargon. A useful guide for the hobbyist who would like to know what some of the terms are in other readings.

  • Cleaning and Preserving Minerals by Richard Pearl 
    ~A classic and must have for the field collector. Hard to find but worth the search.

  • Rocks and Minerals for the Collector by the Geological Survey of Canada 
    ~Many rockhounds & field collectors have their own battered copies acquired long ago or at used book stores. There are many titles written by Ann Sabina and they cover much of Canada. Current titles are available from the The Government of Canada Publications at  http://publications.gc.ca/site/eng/home.html

  • Gem Trails of ... (US States) by Gem Guide Book Company 
    ~Many field collecting guides exist for states in the US. The Gem Trails Series is a common one, fairly easily obtainable from book sellers at mineral shows.

Where to buy Mineral Hobby Books

  • Mineral Books Charles A. Gould Dealer/Collector, Collingwood 705-293-0319  c.gould@rogers.com  
    ~deals in used and out of print/hard to find books. 
    ~Usually at gem & mineral shows in Ontario and Quebec. 

  • "Roadside Geology of ......." - over 15 states and areas in the USA Publisher: Mountain Press Publishing Co., P.O. Box 3299, Missoula, Montana 59806, USA, Tel. 1-800-234-5308, Fax 406-728-1635