Mineral collecting is a fascinating hobby that combines beauty, science and history in a way that most people never get to see. Everyone is familiar with the “Animal Kingdom” and the “Plant Kingdom,” but the treasures of the Mineral Kingdom are usually well-hidden underground, out of the realm of common experience, so a display collection of fine minerals is always impressive. When they are dug up, usually in mining operations or by collectors who know where to dig, they can glisten like jewels that no human could ever invent.

 Minerals represent the many ways that different elements can crystallize together in the earth. There are 92 naturally occurring elements, and these have combined to make over 5,000 different, naturally formed mineral species in every color of the rainbow, from tiny ant-size crystals to crystals the size of a bus. Of course, for mineral collectors, the sizes ranging from an inch to a foot are most convenient. Mineral dealers travel the world to bring back stunning examples for their customers, and many mineral museums have extensive, beautiful displays.

 As with any field of interest, the most important thing for mineral collectors is knowledge. Books on mineralogy can fill whole libraries, but there is one place where the critical information about minerals and their places of occurrence around the world is gathered just for the mineral collector: The Mineralogical Record magazine is the “bible” for all mineral collectors worldwide. Started over half a century ago, this dedicated mineral magazine has become an invaluable archive of stunning specimen photos, in-depth locality information, and important mineral news that no serious collector can be without.