Collector’s Guide to the Mica Group – Book

Mica is familiar to all mineral collectors (and to most laymen as well). The term “mica” encompasses a group of about forty minerals, some very common and others quite rare, many of which occasionally form excellent crystals.

This concise monograph provides a thorough, collector-oriented, review of the mica group, including recently described species. The book is generously illustrated with over 100 full-color photographs and electron micrographs of representative specimens from the author’s extensive research collection.

After a brief introduction, the general treatment begins with an explanation of the chemistry and taxonomy of the group with supporting tables to illustrate the logic of their classification and relationships to one another. A section on their formation and geochemistry explains the kinds of environments where micas can form. Then, a detailed entry for each mineral provides extensive locality information and full-color photos wherever possible, so that collectors can see what good specimens look like. The final sections highlight additional topics of interest to collectors, including attractive associations of micas with other minerals, pseudomorphs involving mica, and micas that are fluorescent under UV light.

This volume, and others in the series, will be of interest to every collector interested in developing a better understanding of silicate minerals.