Book Description

Although known for its gold production, California is a virtualhaven for rock and gem collectors.Explore the mineral-rich desertregions, comb tide-washed beaches for jade, agate, abalone, andfossilized whale bone, and prospect in the mountains and hills forgold, copper and other minerals and gems. The Rockhound's Guide toCalifornia describes 75 of the state's best rockhounding sites, andcovers the popular and commercial sites as well as numerouslittle-known areas. This handy guide describes how to collectspecimens, includes maps and directions to each site, and listsrockhound clubs around the state.The Rockhound's Guide to Californiaoffers a complete introduction to this many-faceted hobby and is anoutstanding guide and sourcebook. ... Read more

Book Description

From agate to zoisite, this definitive guide to collecting sites throughout Southern California highlights the best that the area has to offer.Taking up where Gem Trails of Northern California left off, this companion book covers all of Southern California from just north of San Luis Obispo south to the Mexican border and all site points in between.Detailed maps and descriptive text lead the rockhound to over 70 of the best collecting sites for gems, minerals and fossils.Black and white photos aid in locating the collecting area.Stunning color photos help with specimen identification.Full of helpful hints for getting the most out of each site, the author becomes your personal tour guide to the many treasures that Southern California has to offer.Ideal for the novice, an important addition to any experienced rockhound's collection, Gem Trails of Southern California is a must for any rock collector exploring this diverse region. James Mitchell, a contributor to the Lapidary Journal, teaches school during the year and spends summers searching the West for additional gem and mineral locations. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

useful book, but needs an update
We just spent the last weekend in the Mojave Desert with this book. We found several wonderful sites using the guide. We also got lost on webs of dirt roads, no matter how closely we followed the book's instructions. I have to think that a lot of the roads have changed, or that some of the directions are not accurate. We also encounted two sites in a row that were closed, but not labeled as such in the book. So although the book is great, it obviously needs an update, even though it was only published in 1999. My boyfriend thought it would also have helped us to have GPS coordinates of the sites. Still, we would never have found the great spots we did without this book, so I would definitely recommend it...

Complete and accurate guide to Southern California Gem Trail
This book gives you accurate maps and information about the many sites to find gems, geode beds, old gold, chalcedony, opal and agate mines in the area, and many other sites and places of interest.It is easy to read and follow and I would recommend it to anyone interested in investigating these types of places in Southern California. ... Read more

Book Description

Fee Mining Adventures & Rock Hunting Expeditions in the U.S. is a handy guide for individuals, families, rockhounds and prospectors of all ages.This unique directory locates over 155 collecting locations throughout this country, including fee mines, places to prospect for gold, and sites to hunt rocks and minerals. Mine the top of a mountain in New Hampshire; find Herkimer Diamonds in New York and fluorescent minerals in New Jersey; Pan for gold in North Carolina, at the site of the first reported gold find in the U.S.; hunt for Spanish treasure and fossilized shark's teeth off the Florida coast; gather Michigan's state stone and fossils in Indiana; try your luck at a geode mine in Missouri or a quartz mine in Arkansas; obtain petrified dinosaur bone from a collecting locale in Colorado; collect smithstone in New Mexico, fire agates in Arizona, and opal in Nevada; visit numerous mines and sites of the California Gold Rush; search for sapphires in Montana and fossilized fish in Wyoming; and discover gold in rivers and streams in Oregon, Washington and Alaska.These and numerous other fee mining, prospecting and rock hunting adventures await you in this handy collection of sites.Organized by region, it is a valuable guide for casual hobbyists and serious collectors. Seasons open and days and hours of operation are included for each site as well as the address, directions, cost, tools,, and supplies needed.Interesting history, regional attractions, and camping information help to make your collecting trip even more enjoyable. ... Read more

Book Description

The Pocket Naturalist card is a pocket-sized, folding card which provides simplified, easy-to-use introduction to familiar North American rocks, gems, minerals and fossils. Maps show distribution of important rocks and minerals. Every card is laminated so that it is waterproof and practical for use in the field. ... Read more

Book Description

From the very earliest manifestations of civilization in China in the late Neolithic period, a strictly organized political and social hierarchy was in place. Within such a society, the position of individuals was defined through social codes and regulations, both written and unwritten. Chinese civilization thus provides an excellent opportunity to examine how personal ornaments functioned as symbols that identified social and cultural status through the materials used and the decorative motifs chosen. The decoration is, in fact, a language to be seen, read, and interpreted. In THE LANGUAGE OF ADORNMENT, Myrna and Samuel Myers’s collection of Chinese personal ornaments is presented and explored in stunning, full-color plates. ... Read more

Book Description

A searchable database for all arches in the world (not including Arches National Park)over 33 feet in size. Includes pictures and data. For PC only, not Mac. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The Facts
This is a well organized collection of many of the clues that can be founed in several other sources.The author offers little new insight with the exception of a cave that she discovered.It is a good book for beginners who would like an introduction to the clues pertaining to the lost dutchman's mine. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Very Helpful Book!
I found this book to be extremly helpful with my research. The numerous color photos are a real plus. I'd highly recommend this title.

What a well researched book. Very interesting
I have only recently begun to collect various minerals. I couldn't disagree more with this other reviewer. I found it to be very thorough, easy to understand, and helped me immediately in categorizing mycollection. Well worth the price, and an invaluable reference book foryears to come.

Just Doesn't Cut It.
Well, it's a nice book and all, but Mr. Krause has lost all objectivity in discussing the various minerals of the world. I was surprised that he completely overlooked gypsum--certainly one of the most useful minerals around (plaster products, fertilizer). Perhaps the author should spend less time using a thesaurus (trying to impress us?) and more time studying minerals and rocks ... Read more

Book Description

Metamorphic Crystallization investigates the upper regions of the crystalline Earth, where countless solid-state chemical changes have taken place during the long history of the planet. The exploration proceeds in five stages. Firstly, a brief reminder of the importance of field, microscopic, and experimental phase-equilibrium results in metamorphic studies is given, followed by a review of classical thermodynamics as applied to minerals. Different kinds of mineral equilibria are defined, and representative natural and experimental examples of each kind are examined. The kinetics of reactions involving crystals (reaction rate, diffusion, nucleation, crystal growth), referring to certain experiments that have provided information on these microprocesses, are reviewed. Finally, the granular microstructure of natural samples (crystal shape, size, spatial distribution) together with chemical data are examined, and an interpretation of these observations in terms of mineral kinetics is pursued. This exploration intends to leave the reader more appreciative of changes which occur within the Earth, and more interested in the application of thermodynamics and kinetics in the study of these changes. ... Read more

Book Description

Covering 240 commonly found types of rock, mineral, and gemstone throughout the world, Rocks and Minerals is the perfect introduction to the subject. Featuring an easy-to-use text and 240 color photos. ... Read more