Fabulous reads – Add this gem to your bookshelf

Minerals and Gemstones of East Africa, Bruce Cairncross, Penguin Random House, ISBN: 9781775845560

EAST Africa is famous for its world-class gemstones and mineral specimens, most notably the highly sought-after blue tanzanite, found only in Tanzania in a very small area in the northeast.

Many other minerals and gemstones are mined in that region and this is the first full-colour publication to showcase and examine those occurring in the five countries that make up East Africa: Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi.

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The book includes an introduction to the fascinating geology of the region, including a map depicting the simplified geology and mineral occurrences; detailed descriptions of minerals, including their gemological properties, history and occurrence and multiple full-colour photographs of each mineral and gem specimen.

It is an invaluable reference for collectors, gemologists, students, those working in the gemstone and mineral industry in East Africa, and anyone with an interest in the earth sciences.

Bruce Cairncross is professor of geology at the University of Johannesburg. He has a special interest in documenting and preserving southern Africa’s mineralogical heritage and is the author or co-author of 10 books on minerals.

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