About Mineral Collecting
Here is a very brief list of things that you can do to learn more about the hobby of mineral collecting if you are a novice mineral collector.
Check Out Mindat
This is absolutely the best online resource for researching mineral localities, finding photographs of specimens, and looking up mineral properties. If you haven’t already found this website I strongly encourage you to check it out.
Subscribe to a Mineral Magazine
There are two premiere mineral related magazines that I would recommend. Mineralogical Record is the most in depth as far as technical information related to geology, mineralogy, etc. Rocks and minerals is a little less technical and more accessible if you do not have an interest in technical detail. Both are well written by knowledgeable authors.
Mineralogical Record https://mineralogicalrecord.com/members-new-auto-renewal
Rocks and Minerals https://www.tandfonline.com/pricing/journal/vram20
Attend Mineral Shows
Mineral shows are the lifeblood of the collecting community. They are not only a fantastic place to acquire a new mineral specimen but they are a time for collectors and dealers alike to socialize and share knowledge. I have made many friendships, business relationships, and learned countless new things from the mineral shows I have attended over the years. The major USA shows that I would recommend attending are listed below. ‘
Lookup Shows in Your State
https://www.rockandmineralshows.com/State/Index?categoryName=mineral-shows
Denver Gem and Mineral Show
While there are several shows that now happen in Denver, there is only one original Denver Gem and Mineral Show. Unfortunately due to the sudden closure of the Denver Mart the Denver Gem and Mineral Show was forced out of this location in late 2020. However, in a fortunate turn of events the organizers who run the Munich Show (the largest single mineral show in the world) have started a show in collaboration with the Denver Gem and Mineral Show. The new venue is located at the the Downtown Denver Convention Center. This new location boasts a variety of choices for quality hotels, public transportation, good food, and of course excellent Colorado craft beer. I believe that currently this is the nicest venue of any mineral show in the United States. The 2021 premiere show was in both my personal experience and in the experience of a wide variety of dealers and collectors that I talked to a huge success. I greatly look forward to seeing the direction of growth of this newly improved show.
Tucson Gem and Mineral Show
Tucson has been the premier mineral show in the USA for over 50 years. This is the largest gem and mineral show in the USA and combines together a large number of individual shows that happen simultaneously stretched out over nearly a month in the city of Tucson. The show most oriented towards the serious mineral collector that is looking for collector quality specimens is Mineral City in my opinion. This show has over 117 mineral focused dealers with a variety of species, localities, and price points. If you come out to the show please feel free to look me up.
Join a Mineral Club in Your Area
In the USA gem and mineral clubs really founded the backbone of the mainstream hobby for the past several decades. Many clubs are faltering or even disbanding due to the inability to attract the interest of young mineral collectors. I strongly encourage everyone who considers themselves a mineral collector to join at least one mineral club. They are a great way to learn and develop mentorships with members who have considerable experience about a variety of topics from field collecting, lapidary, gem cutting, and mineral collecting.
Listings of Clubs - Clubs listed by state around the USA
https://rocktumbler.com/blog/rock-and-mineral-clubs
Friends of Mineralogy - National club with regional chapters
https://www.friendsofmineralogy.org/become-a-member
Start Reading Mineral Books
Mineral books are a great way to gain information regarding mineral collecting, localities, geology, and mineralogy. I would highly recommend the following books to both a novice or advanced collector who has not read them.
The Frugal Collector, Bob Jones ISBN-13 : 978-0615419244
Written by Carnegie Award winning author Bob Jones. Bob has written for Rocks and Minerals magazine since 1959 with over 600 freelance articles in various publications to his name. The book focuses on giving an overview of occurrences of collector quality minerals organized by species/class along with interesting stories relating to historical events in the mineral collecting world. Well written and easy to read, this book features hundreds of color photographs of minerals throughout.
Natures Garden of Crystals, Vandall T. King ISBN-13 : 978-0983201748
Written by a group of some of the best known contemporary mineral dealers. This books features a plethora of stunning full page color plates of “fine minerals”. The book gives a brief overview of collecting philosophy based primarily on aesthetics with minor concessions to rarity. The book does an excellent job visually illustrating what “quality” mineral specimens look like.
Don’t Be Intimidated, Ask Questions
I wish I had been more inquisitive and outgoing when I was a young collector. I was intimidated by the vast knowledge and fabulous specimens of older dealers and collectors. Now looking back on it, I realize that it was total bullshit. Many dealers and “serious” collectors are really just mineral nerds who have stuck around long enough to become well known in the mineral collecting community. So I encourage you to ask questions, develop friendships, educated yourselves, and enjoy the hobby!