Topographic Mineralogy

Minerals of Britain - Plans for a new book

The reason for starting this book came with the recognition that the last publication listing all the minerals of Britain was completed in 1858 (Greg & Lettsom). It therefore seemed to me that it was about time someone generated and published a more up to date compendium. After many hours work I have created a database that lists over 18,000 referenced mineral occurrences and contains 940 confirmed species as well as 51 species requiring confirmation (plus 12 additional group names). Minerals not given species status, synonyms and varieties brings the total to over 1400 mineral names. The database includes occurrences in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Eire, the Channel Islands and minerals described from meteorites that have fallen on Britain.

As there are probably more than 600 species in my database than there are in Greg & Lettsom's book, there has to be a radical change from their format otherwise the book will be too big for anyone to afford. It is also important that the material is not seen as 'competition' for Andrew Clark's excellent Hey's Index. I decided that as it would be about British minerals the emphasis should be on localities but yet I wanted it to be something more than a simple list. I finally decided on a content that includes a few basic descriptors for each species (chemical formula, colour, hardness, SG etc.), added classification tags so that various groupings could be made (perhaps at the end of the book) and then proceeded to list localities. I also thought it important to give abbreviated references to each locality because I see the book as a serious resource for mineralogists working on British material as well as being of interest to amateur mineralogists. The database already contains references to all British mineral occurrences published in Min. Mag. (for the last 50 years), J. Russell Soc. (all issues) and the UK J. Mines & Minerals (most issues - still seeking issues 1 & 3). There are also a liberal selection of geological (as opposed to mineralogical) journal entries included and this will increase as I add entries from the Transactions of the Institute of Mining & Metallurgy and BGS Mineral Reconnaissance Reports.

One contentious issue is the omission of any geological information describing paragenesis or type of occurrence. This is deliberate to keep the volume of text down. Once the references are finalized it will of course be easy (if not laborious) to add such extra details, but this would perhaps be more appropriate to a computer-based CD product.

I have given a little thought as to how the book might be presented, however, this almost certainly will change. I feel the text needs breaking up a bit to make it more 'user-friendly'. I quite like the idea of a small distribution map of Britain by the side of each species (in much the same way as some Bird spotting books do). Other possible components might be classification listings, group listings, group classification diagrams, full page location maps perhaps county by county or by region, chemical analyses (probably only one per mineral - if at all), crystal drawings, or even photographs (to be considered carefully). Mineral lists from impressive localities (e.g. Meldon, Devon or Scawt Hill, Co. Antrim) might also be worth including. If around three minerals are made to fit on a page then a 300-400 page book should result.

The broad readership I am looking for includes two main groups of users: professional and amateur. The professional user is most likely to value a text which strives for a comprehensive treatment of the occurrences of each mineral species. For the rarer species this is entirely possible, but for common species such as actinolite, or ever more so quartz and calcite, there is a need to concentrate on scientifically interesting or unusual occurrences. For the professional, the more localities, details and further information the better. The amateur user is most likely to be a mineral collector and localities that yield collectable specimens, or sites which have formerly been important sources of a particular mineral are likely to be of highest priority. The amateur mineralogist is more likely to have an interest in a more restricted range of species than the professional and invariably be more interested in well-crystallized material. The amateur might also expect the book to be profusely illustrated with colour photographs and yet be least likely to afford to buy such a book.

The challenge then is to provide a comprehensive coverage that lists a wide variety of sites which will appeal to both groups and yet remain sufficiently focused that the book does not become so long that the amateurs cannot afford it. Judging by book reviews in mineralogical journals there is a world market for country-based mineral books, so I expect more than local interest.