The Firefly guide to minerals, rocks & gems

Step-by-step Q&As with detailed colour photographs for easy identification.

The Firefly Guide to Minerals, Rocks & Gems is designed for easy and reliable identification of minerals, gems and rocks.

Beginning with the stone's colour and any streak, and using a sequence of straightforward questions and answers - aided by 1,300 photographs and drawings - it's easy to narrow down the possibilities among 350 minerals, gems and rocks to the conclusive classification.

The book organizes the rocks by colour: Blue, Red, Yellow, Brown, Green, Black, and White.

Identification begins with noting the colour of the rock's streak (i.e., vein, line).

Identification is then further narrowed down with respect to Colour, Crystal form, Hardness, Lustre, Density, Cleavage, Break and Tenacity.

Each rock's main photograph shows the general or typical view, and identification tips about features are noted in the margins of the respective page.

Similar stones are presented for comparison and tips are provided that can eliminate imposters.

Drawings show the mineral's crystal shape. The chemical formula reveals the elements from which the mineral is composed.

There is also information about where the stone is typically found and some of the ways that humans have utilized it.

Packed with beautiful photographs of earth's many rocks, minerals and gems, The Firefly Guide to Minerals, Rocks & Gems is perfect for amateur mineralogists and collectors.