The Mineral World of John Ruskin (AVAILABLE NOW!)

You can order a copy via the book orders page here

John Ruskin is primarily known and appreciated as a Victorian polymath who wielded huge influence during his lifetime as an art critic, social reformer, and writer.

He was a tireless champion of natural beauty and ethical craftsmanship. He looked at mountains and nature with the eye of an artist, a diligent and trained observer of the natural world.

Extraordinarily well-connected, and in regular contact with many leading figures of the time, Ruskin was controversial, opinionated, outspoken and always questioning. His ideas and influence are still keenly felt today.

If you are a mineralogist or mineral collector, the name John Ruskin will probably not chime with your mental list of historical mineral collectors. You may be surprised to learn, not only that he had a substantial, and very high-quality mineral collection, but that specimens from it are on display in the mineral gallery of the Natural History Museum in London.

On the other hand, if you are a Ruskin scholar or enthusiast you are probably aware that he collected minerals, but few of you will have any idea about the scale or stature of his collection.

In this book I hope that you will find both answers and inspiration to launch your own study of Ruskin and his minerals.

— CLICK ITS IMAGE TO SEE INSIDE —

The book will be of interest to Ruskin scholars, historians of mineralogy, mineralogists and mineral collectors alike.

Book structure and contents

1. INTRODUCTION
2. WHO WAS JOHN RUSKIN?
3. MOUNTAINS AND THE ALPS
4. BUILDING THE COLLECTION
5. THE BRANTWOOD YEARS
6. THE BRITISH MUSEUM (NATURAL HISTORY)
7. THE COLENSO DIAMOND
8. RUSKIN THE COLLECTOR
9. MINERAL DEALERS AND CORRESPONDENTS
10. THE GUILD OF ST GEORGE
11. THE RUSKIN MUSEUM CONISTON
12. OTHER COLLECTIONS
13. AGATES
14. MINERALOGICAL AND GEOLOGICAL PUBLICATIONS
15. RUSKIN’S GEOLOGICAL AND MINERALOGICAL LEGACY
16. WHERE NEXT?
17. EPILOGUE
18. REFERENCES
19. INDEX
20. APPENDICES

Background

The story of how these wonders of nature became Ruskin’s sanctuary in times of stress and despair is both convoluted and fascinating.

He was intensely interested in the diversity of colour and form, of texture and associations to be found in the mineral world. Minerals occupied a central position in Ruskin’s everyday life.

Given the impact which his passion for the subject had on his thinking and outlook, it is surprising that no-one has tackled this subject previously.

Although alluded to in passing by many authors and commentators on Ruskin, mineralogy is an aspect of his life that has long been neglected and deserves to be brought centre-stage as part of his legacy. It is a hitherto untold story that is revealed in the pages of this book.

Silica Exhibit

Perhaps uniquely in the history of the Natural History Museum, Ruskin was granted permission to organise and arrange a display in the Mineral Gallery of “A Series of Specimens in the British Museum (Natural History) Illustrative of the More Common Forms of Native Silica.” Completed in April of 1884, and supported by a printed catalogue describing the specimens in Ruskin’s own words and available for sale in the Gallery, the exhibit remained on display for forty years. As part of the background research for the book much time and effort was expended in tracing as many of the specimens from the exhibit as could be identified.

Unfortunately, no photograph of the display case or its contents appears to have survived, and it seems probable that no-one alive today would have seen the exhibit. I am delighted therefore to be able to present here a virtual recreation of the exhibit, in the form of an ‘illustrated’ version of Ruskin’s catalogue. Click on the button below to explore:

Brantwood Exhibition (summer 2026)

Timed to coincide with the publication of The Mineral World of John Ruskin, Brantwood will be hosting a special exhibition Treasures of the Earth from 1st May through the summer months. Further details will be available on the Brantwood website in due course https://www.brantwood.org.uk/whats-on/