Earth’s Hidden Treasures

From emeralds in Brazil to pegmatite in North Carolina, Earth’s Hidden Treasures shows how global forces on an enormous scale result in a dazzling, ever-changing array of gems and stones. It’s not your average children’s book on minerals—it’s a book that anyone eager to learn more about minerals and their formation will enjoy, especially as an adjunct to mineral collecting field guides. Earth’s Hidden Treasures represents several years of research into one of my favorite topics, rocks and minerals, while I was a regular contributor to Rock & Gem magazine.

The book digs deeper into the how and why of mineral formation and uses, with many questions and answers prompted by the author’s participation in field collecting trips and mineral collecting clubs. Special interest topics, such as coloring with minerals, mineral fluorescence, and the science of mineralogy are covered in extensive sidebars; appendix materials highlight places to take the entire family to visit mines, dig for minerals, and check out excellent mineral collections open to the public.

Earth’s Hidden Treasures
Twenty-First Century Books (Exploring Planet Earth series), 1999
Out of print, 2007
ISBN: 0-7613-1411-3
Used copies still available via Amazon.com

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface
Treasures We Take For Granted
Chapter 1 The Earth Gives Birth
Chapter 2 The Elements Take Shape
Chapter 3 A Colorful Equation
Chapter 4 Making a Deposit
Chapter 5 Tracking Hidden Treasure
Chapter 6 A Legacy of Minerals
Glossary
Recommended Resources
Index