More than 1200 copies have been sold and the book is out of print.
You may be able to find a copy on the second hand market via ABE Books
Crystal Mountains tells the story of the early crystal hunters who roamed the mountains and glens of the Cairngorms during the 18th and 19th centuries in search of Scotland’s famous gem – the smoky quartz or cairngorm. The book provides a comprehensive history of this arduous and uncertain quest, and explains the geological background to the occurrence of the gem minerals. Lavishly illustrated with photographs of the wild and rugged scenery of the Cairngorms National Park, the text invites exploration and discovery. The author has been privileged to have obtained unprecedented access to both private and public collections, resulting in the inclusion of numerous previously unpublished photographs of mineral specimens, gemstones and artefacts made from them. The book will appeal to all those interested in the natural and social history of the area, to Park visitors, mineral collectors, gemmologists and members of the antique and jewellery trades.
Running to 184 pages, the book follows the format established in 1987 by Minerals of Cornwall and Devon and subsequently Minerals of the English Lake District-Caldbeck Fells (1990) and Minerals of Northern England (2008), page size 276 x 218 mm, and is lavishly illustrated with 229 colour photographs, 4 colour maps, 2 colour diagrams and 17 monochrome images. An extensive list of over 300 references complements the text and a comprehensive index is provided.
The following sample pages give you a look inside the book (PLEASE CLICK ON THE IMAGES TO SEE A LARGE VERSION):
Please take a look at my 10-minute video of the Cairngorms, especially if you have not yet visited the area Crystal Mountains video – a celebration of the Cairngorms
Reviews of Crystal Mountains
See here for a review of the book by Mark Griffin for the Geological Society’s Geoscientist https://www.geolsoc.org.uk/Geoscientist/Books-Arts/Geoscientist-book-reviews-online/2015-Book-Reviews-Online/Crystal-Mountains-Minerals-of-the-Cairngorms
and here http://minmag.geoscienceworld.org/content/78/7/1795.extract for a review in MINERALOGICAL MAGAZINE (Volume 78, No.7 December 2014)
and Rocks and Minerals magazine USA) http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00357529.2015.1012963?journalCode=vram20
The end of the journey – 8 May 2022 !
The last remaining copy of Crystal Mountains was sold at the Oxford Mineral Show today during the launch of my new book Making it Mine – Sir Arthur Russell and his Mineral Collection.
The lucky purchaser was Claire Connolly – thanks and congratulations Claire!
