Mineral collecting
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Mineral collecting is the hobby of systematically collecting, identifying and displaying mineral specimens. Mineral collecting can also be a part of the profession of mineralogy and allied geologic specialties.
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History
General considered the "father of mineralogy" and the "father of mineral collecting" is Georgius Agricola (the Latinized pen name of George Bauer) who was a very learned medical doctor in the Saxon mining towns of Joachimsthal and Chemnitz -- who was also an avid mineral collector. He wrote several books, including two of enduring significance: De Re Metallica, an exhaustive treatise on mining, and De Natura Fossilium, the first (1546) modern textbook of mineralogy.
Another famous 16th century mineral collector who brought the topic to the forefront was Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II (1552-1612), who became very known for his political career such as the Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648), one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, and one of the longest continuous wars in modern history. He also built an enormous collection while employing Anselmus de Boodt (ca. 1550-1634), his court physician, to expand and tend his collections. De Boodt wrote one of the most influential books on the history of gems and minerals: De Gemmis et Lapidibus, a book on gems that enormously influenced succeeding generations. After Rudolf's death his collection was dispersed.
Motivations
Mineral collectors find a variety of reasons to collect minerals. Many minerals are strikingly beautiful and collected for their aesthetic value. Others collect to learn more about mineralogy, the local mining industry and/or local geology. Some simply enjoy exploring the outdoors and socializing and trading with other mineral collectors.
Notable public mineral collections
- Geological Museum, Mineral Collection, London
- National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Gem and Mineral Collection, Washington, D.C.
- Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Hall of Gems and Minerals
- Houston Museum of Natural Science, Cullen Hall of Gems and Minerals, Houston
- Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Hillman Hall of Minerals and Gems, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Australian Museum, Albert Chapman Mineral Collection, Sydney
- Musée de Minéralogie, École nationale supérieure des mines de Paris, Paris
- Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano, Milan
- Mineralogisches Museum Hamburg (1500 specimens on display) Mineral hall, Hamburg
- Fersman Mineralogical Museum, St Petersburg
Notable mineral collectors
- Andrew Ketcham Barnett (1852–1914), principal, Penzance School of Mines
- Albert Chapman ( - 1996) after death collection moved to Australian Museum
- Walter Frederick Ferrier (1865–1950), Canadian geologist and mining engineer
- Jack Halpern (1920 - ) and collection reviewed in Mineralogical Record
- George Frederick Kunz (1856–1932), gentleman scientist, VP of Tiffany & Co., "special agent" for the US Geological Survey (1883–1909)
- W.F. Larson (1945 - ), Founder of Pala Gems, board of San Diego Natural History Museum, owner Sinkankas Library
- Gene Meieran (1937 - ), 2nd Sr Intel Fellow (after the inventor of the microprocessor) , 2003 Carnegie Mineralogical Award winner. Collection also at A. E. Seaman Mineral Museum
- J. P. Morgan (1837 - 1913), famous international banker. Morganite was named after him by G.F. Kunz
- Perkins D. Sams (1927-2010), West Texas oilman. After death collection moved to Houston Museum of Natural Science.
- Stephen Smale (1930 - ), Professor in mathematics, UC Berkeley. World's best Chinese mineral collection published in book. Appraised Houston Museum of Natural Science collection.
- Abraham Gottlob Werner (1749–1817), pioneering German geologist
- Henrietta Clive, Countess of Powis (1758-1830), one of the first female mineral collectors in the United Kingdom, whose well-organised collection is now part of National Museum Wales
See also
- Rockhounding
- Fossil collecting
- Lapidary
- Lapidary club
- Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, the world's largest.
- Mineralientage, the Munich Mineral Show, Europe's largest.
