This book is a real favorite of mine - I have a copy and use it regularly. It contains wonderful photos and an exhaustive list of minerals found at various places in Nevada. The list includes not just common minerals but gemstones and vary collectable specimens including gold. Nevada  is the home of many differing geologic environments and this book examines the minerals of them all. Special sections cover the geology of the state, the geology of the famous gold deposits and gemstones which have been found in the state. A great reference and for those interested in prospecting or rock hounding in Nevada, this is the book you are looking for.

This fantastic book examines the geology across the middle of Nevada, along Highway 50 - the Outback part of the state. Highway 50 was designated a few years ago as America's Loneliest Highway - Its very natural, as there is not a lot out there in the way of civilization. The book has interesting historical and natural history information about central Nevada as well. I bought a copy for my father as a present. Fun for the traveler going across Nevada.

An excellent guide book on the geology of my favorite mountain range - the Sierra Nevada. I see them as I look out the windows of my home. The Sierra Nevada Range is one of the worlds most beautiful, with interesting geology and famous mineral deposits, including the famous mother lode gold mines.

Learn More about the geology of central and Northern California. Covers the Coastal ranges, Sierra Nevada range and more. I like the "Roadside Geology" series. They are  informative, and intended to answer the questions anyone would ask, but not excessively technical, so they are easy enough to be read and understood by anyone.

A very cool book on the geology of Hawaii and the crustal hot spots that formed these beautiful volcano islands out in the middle of the Pacific. I bought my copy when I was in Hawaii on the big Island. If you intend to travel to the Islands of Hawaii, especially if you plan to tour Kilauea and the Volcanoes park, buy this book and read it first - you will get so much more out of your visit. I like the "Roadside Geology" series because its informative, and intended to answer the the kinds of questions anyone would ask, but not excessively technical, so they are easy enough to be read and understood by anyone. Recommended strongly for those visiting the Islands of Hawaii.

Check Price or Purchase Roadside Geology of Hawaii

The interesting geology of Arizona, including the Grand Canyon and Sonora Desert. Great background information for rockhounds and prospectors working in or visiting Arizona. I like the "Roadside Geology" series. They are  informative, and intended to answer the questions anyone would ask, but not excessively technical, so they are easy enough to be read and understood by anyone.

The geology of a remote and little traveled area, the central part of Nevada. From the strange and "otherworldly" looking deposits of the Sump, to the volcanoes of the area, its all here. A great guide to the "outback" of Nevada.

One of the most Famous Gold and Silver deposits in the US, the Comstock lode boomed for decades, and was the backbone of Nevada for years. Read the fascinating history of how it was discovered, the men who made millions, and the riches of the mines themselves. I worked in a gold/Silver mine on the Comstock Lode in the early 1980s, so I made my own contribution to the recent history of the Comstock Lode.

A good detailed guide to geology - the world of rocks and minerals. Hurlbut and Klein are well known authors in the field of geology, and have written a wide variety of books covering all sorts of related fields including books on gemology. An older version of this book was an important textbook of mine when I was in college (don't want to remember how long ago that was!). A highly recommended book.

This is the current version of my old college mineralogy textbook. Really a great guide to the mineral kingdom, and basic enough for anyone to use. Really great as both a text and a reference book - highly recommended. Covers Rock minerals like quartz and Feldspar as well as gem minerals like turquoise and tourmaline. The revised edition now includes a CD-ROM to let readers see the minerals and crystals, while also viewing chemical composition, symmetry, and morphological crystallography.
 

A great introductory book on rocks and minerals, a great field book to have when out camping and doing other activities in the great outdoors. A great book to get started building your "rock and geology" library with. 

Another great introductory book on rocks and minerals, a great field book to have with you when your're out camping and doing other activities in the great outdoors. Like the Title says: "Explore your world" - its kind of a motto of mine. Bob Jones is an excellent, informative and easy to read author - I believe he is a former school teacher, now doing rock related publishing full time.

An excellent field guide to rocks and minerals, completely updated for the fifth edition, includes 385 color photographs showing rocks, minerals, and geologic formations. Hundreds of minerals are described, with details such as geographic distribution, physical properties, chemical composition, and crystalline structures. Written by the famous Fredrick Pough, with illustrations by Jeff Scovill who is a photography artist who specializes in gems and minerals.

Practical, concise, and easy to use, Simon & Schuster's Guide to Rocks and Minerals contains everything that the rock and mineral enthusiast needs to know. This is the book I use in the field for myself. This guide is divided into two large sections -- one devoted to minerals and one to rocks, each prefaced by a comprehensive introduction that discusses formation, chemistry, and more. All 377 entries, beautifully illustrated with color photographs and helpful visual symbols, provide descriptions and practical information about appearance, classification, rarity, crystal formation, mode of occurrence, gravity of mineral, rock chemistry, modal classification fields, formational environments, grain sizes of rocks, and much more.

Perfect for mountain climbers and hikers, this valuable reference covers more rocks and minerals in North America than any other available guide. 794 full-color photographs depict all the important rocks, gems, and minerals -- in many variations of color and crystal form -- and the natural environments in which they occur; written descriptions provide information on field marks, similar rocks and minerals, environment, areas of occurrence, and derivation of names. Includes a guide to mineral collecting and a list of rock-forming minerals.

Great photos of minerals and the necessary information to identify your finds - a great handbook to have. Costs a bit more than some of the others, but this book is of very high quality. The book contains detailed information for all levels of interest in minerals and geology, it is a great reference guide. If you are interested in minerals, I think you will really enjoy this selection.

This superb, 451 page, large “coffee table” size Russian book, printed in English, covers all you ever wanted to know about Corundum (Ruby and Sapphire), Beryl, Opal, Topaz, Tourmaline, Spinel, Garnet, Peridot, Quartz (Amethyst), Turquoise, Amber, Lazurite, Jadeite and Nephrite, Charoite, Malachite, Chalcedony, and Rhodonite.  A separate chapter is devoted to each mineral type.  Within each chapter, information relating the history and uses of each gem are given, along with historical facts and other interesting information.   Each gem's special types of geological and genetic deposits are also discussed in detail – pegmatite, hydrothermal, greisen, magmatic, placer, skarn, alluvial, glacial, etc.  The author has provided geological – genetic classification tables of some of the world's best known gem deposits.  Maps of many of the important deposits are included, showing the exact locations of major deposits of principal precious and ornamental gemstones of the world.  Following the mineral / gem descriptions, the author has included a chapter relative to the economic – geological types of gemstone deposits.  The references / bibliography section contains an astounding 902 entries for additional reading.

Austin was one of the great historic silver strikes in Nevada. Narrow veins produced amazingly rich ores that were difficult to process. Austin saw a number of historic incidents and advancements, this book chronicles them.

Gold is found naturally in a variety of forms from microdust to placer nuggets to complex crystals, and this book fully explores the world of native gold. Beginning with the basics of gold mineralogy and enrichment, our expert team of authors traces the history of gold and man from the Egyptians to the modern-day metal detectors. Along the way, they describe localities, share stories and offer tips for evaluating specimens and avoiding fakes. The prime feature is the wonderful full-color photographs of some of the world’s finest examples of crystallized gold.

Check Price or Purchase  Gold--The Noble Mineral

Fists Full of Gold is the very latest, most complete and comprehensive gold prospecting book on the market. This book takes a unique and different approach in teaching the “trade skills” of prospecting – it covers not just equipment, but the knowledge you really need to find those locations with recoverable gold. This information is important because in the final analysis, no matter well you operate your dredge, metal detector or other prospecting equipment, unless you can find those deposits where the gold is concentrated, your equipment cannot help you recover it. Fists Full of Gold is a handbook for all types of gold prospecting, but contains far more information and detail than any prospecting book available. It has a very complete and up to date section on nugget detecting, but also covers dry washing and even other stuff like panning, sluicing, dredging, etc.  The book covers minerals, geology and how to do your own research in an understandable way that is not just for rank beginners. Many guys with 10 or even 20 years of experience looking for gold will learn a lot from this book. This book is brand new and up to date, explaining all the latest metal detector technology, current geologic knowledge, how to use GPS in prospecting, how to use the internet for research and other items of interest. (And yes, I am the author - this is my book)