In this article we will outline some of the historic books and publications that have helped shape the mineral collecting trade and advanced the geologic sciences, and review them briefly to help you identify useful guides to understanding the evolution of thought about geology in general and mineral collecting in particular. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
- Pliny the Elder (77 CE) Naturalis Historia [Natural History]
- Agricola, (1546), De Natura Fossilium [On the Nature of Rocks]
- For almost 1500 years after Pliny's seminal work, there had been little advancement in the subject of mineral science outside of the dark ages pursuit of alchemy.
- Agricola, a renaissance era physician and scientist from Saxony (Germany) published this extensive work that became the first serious attempt to debunk mystical thinking and challenge convention on the earliest systems of thought with respect to mineral science.
- This work contains some of the earliest known descriptions of many key mineral species, and though still primitive by modern standards, it shows the progress toward empirical science that was popularized in this era..
- This book was translated to English and re-introduced to modern English-speaking audiences in 1955 by The Geological Society of America,
- Click Here to Purchase De Natura Fossilium (English, Modern Reprint) from Amazon
- Thomas Nicols (1652) Lapidary, or the history of precious stones
- Jame Hutton (1788) Theory of the Earth
- Hutton is considered the originator of the theory of uniformitarianism, the concept that slow, gradual geologic processes we observe today have been consistently occurring over vast timescales.
- His work established the scientific basis for a new, accurate measurement of geologic timescales, in contrast with prevailing religious doctrine that suggested the earth was only at most a few thousand years old.
- Hutton's theories were later improved and substantiated by the work of Charles Lyell to measure geologic strata.
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- René Just Haüy (1801). Traité de Minéralogie. [Treaty of Mineralogy] Note: 5 volumes
- Charles Lyell (1830) Principles of Geology
- James Dwight Dana (1837) A System of Mineralogy
- In this edition, Dana proposed a new classification system for minerals based on their properties with respect to physics, mathematics and chemistry. Dana's classification system was an important step forward in mineral grouping and created more logical groupings of minerals than was ever possible before. This system continues to be used to some degree.
- Click here to Purchase A System of Mineralogy (Print on Demand) from Amazon
- Hugo Strunz (1941) Mineralogische Tabellen, [Mineralogical Tables]
- John Sinkankas, (1972) Gemstone and Mineral Data Book
- Per the subtitle, this book is: “A compilation of data, recipes, formulas, and instructions for the mineralogist, gemologist, lapidary, jeweler, craftsman, and collector”
- This volume was an important publication for modern mineral collectors as one of most comprehensive guides available on mineral collecting and processing, meant for a consumer audience.
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- Richard Fortey (2004) Earth: An Intimate History
- Ichiro Sunagawa (2005) Crystals: Growth, Morphology, & Perfection
- Malcolm E. Back (2022) Fleischer's Glossary of Mineral Species
- Dr. Rupert Hochleitner PhD. (2022) The Minerals Encyclopedia
- DK / Smithsonian (2024) Rock & Gem
- A beautifully illustrated guide to rock, gem and mineral types with well researched and interesting facts about many popular collector minerals. A must for any collectors bookshelf - and a great gift for an aspiring collector.
- Click here to purchase Rock & Gem from Amazon.