I was introduced to Fluorescent Mineral collecting by my son. I started going to shows, joining mineral groups, and reading everything I could on fluorescent minerals. Realizing that there were no books with lots of photographs on the subject, and having written quite a few heavily illustrated books of collecting subjects, I decided to to a book that would appeal to new and old mineral collectors. The book was a success and lead to the publishing of a second book. Lots of fluorescent mineral experts helped by reviewing the text and photos for accuracy, and my publisher was pleased with the success of the books. Schiffer Books started an entirely new avenue of books on Minerals that it now publishes.
The Collector's Book of Fluorescent Minerals is the first illustrated book on the subject. It came out in 1983 and is by Manuel Robbins. The book originally sold for $45, but now it fetches $175 or more when you can find it (Amazon sometimes has it available - the latest price was over $300). It is a great reading book with stories about the miners and the early discovery of the fluorescence in rocks in the Franklin and Sterling Hill mines. An arcing electric spark caused the stones on the sorting table (called the Picking Table) to glow in colors. The miners found that the rocks that glowed green contained zinc while the rocks that glowed red did not. A fellow named Tom Warren obtained a barrel of rocks from the Franklin mine and perfected his company's UV lamps to become portable mineral UV lamps. This improved the mine's ability to find high-grade ore and dump the low-grade ore. It also helped to introduce the field of collecting fluorescent minerals to many collectors. I really like reading this book. It is not too technical and has loads of information. Some of this information is updated and appears in Manny Robbins' second book and my second recommendation,
Over the last several decades, the number of people who are actively involved in the hobby or science of mineral collecting has grown at an increasing pace. In response to the growing demand for informa tion which this large and active group has created, a number of books have been published dealing with mineralogy. As a result, the reader now has a choice among mineral locality guides, field handbooks, photo collections, or books dedicated to the systematic description of minerals. However, as interest in mineralogy has grown, as collectors have become increasingly knowledgeable and aware of mineralogy in its many…
Manny Robbins' second book on fluorescent minerals which came out in 1994. It sold for $49.95, but now appears to be out of print but still fairly easy to find. This is a much more technical read, but has good information.
For both professional mineralogists and recreational gemologists, identifies all the known locations where fluorescent minerals are found, all known species of them with quick-reference color guides, and all mineral activators and the minerals they produce fluorescence in. Also discusses in depth some key minerals, and explains how to preform simple experiments at home or in the classroom that demonstrate the underlying principles of fluorescence. Includes 12 pages of color plates. Available from Geoscience Press, Inc., 12629 N. Tatum Blvd., Suite 201, Phoenix, AZ 85032. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.
Rainbow Mineralsis the best bargain for $6.95 by Bob Jones (printed by Tom Warren). It can be tougher to find, but is sometimes available on eBay. It has a small group of color photos.
Ultraviolet Light and Fluorescent Minerals is also a pretty good read. It is a good general overview of the subject and nicely covers the field of fluorescent activators. It doesn't have many color photographs. It was written by 4 experts in the field including the late, great Thomas Warren (he passed away in 2001) who invented the portable SW mineral lamp. Another one of my favorite guys is Earl Verbeek. He is friendly and knows his rocks. He is the curator of the Sterling Hill Mining Museum.
That is the complete list of books on Fluorescent minerals, not including my two books.
This book takes a broad look at the hobby of mineral fluorescence. It offers discussions of the major fluorescent minerals and mineral groups, techniques for collection them either on field trips or through trade and purchase, and the many ways fluorescent minerals can be displayed and enjoyed in the home. Fluorescent minerals present a puzzle. Many are of quite ordinary appearance in daylight, but when placed under the invisible rays of an ultraviolet lamp in a darkened room, they suddenly glow in beautiful colors. The transformation is so marked and so mysteriously compelling that many people instantly wish to learn…
Collecting Fluorescent Minerals is now in its 2nd revised and expanded edition with 850+ color photos is a fluorescent mineral collector's dream book. It contains minerals from all over the world and has a good concentration of Franklin and Sterling Hill, NJ pieces. Nice large photographs showing the minerals in daylight and under the UV lamp, make it easy to work with when identifying minerals. Information on collecting sites and tips while collecting, make this the book to have. It comes with a value guide to give you an idea of what the pieces will cost.
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