A book co-authored by Professor of Geosciences David Bailey was published this spring by Schiffer Publishing. Collector’s Guide to the Balmat Mining District, St. Lawrence County, New York features photos and descriptions of the history, geology, and mineralogy of an important mining district in the Balmat region of the Adirondack Lowlands.
Bailey said that he and most of his co-authors, Steve Chamberlain, Marian V. Lupulescu, William F. deLorraine, and George W. Robinson, have been involved with projects focused on documenting and recording the important mineral resources and localities of New York State for many years.
Designed primarily for the avid mineral enthusiast and collector, Collector’s Guide to the Balmat Mining District also provides information valuable to scientific researchers. It includes a comprehensive summary and description of the mineral species that have been discovered near the former mining site, known among collectors for its highly prized minerals, over the past 150 years.
A description on the publisher’s website notes that “outstanding specimens from both the talc and zinc mines, preserved in only a few collections, are featured in this book — many for the first time. Some of the fine specimens included are hexagonite, manganocummingtonite, groutite, calcite, sphalerite, and magnetite.”