The study of minerals has a long, colourful history starting with simple observations made by early humans during the Stone Age as they refined their stone tool making and used mineral pigments for artwork. During the Chalcolithic, Bronze Age, and Iron Age different methods of smelting were discovered; and minerals were exploited for various metals (using techniques we talked about last year).
Until the Renaissance, On Stones and Natural History (Theophrastus, 3rd century BC and Pliny, 1st century AD) remained the authoritative texts on minerals. In the Middle Ages, lapidaries became very popular. These books included physical descriptions of minerals, but added many magical, medicinal, moral, and protective properties. During the Renaissance, attention shifted from alleged supernatural qualities of minerals to experimentation and observation, ultimately leading to important discoveries such as the crystalline structure of minerals. We will talk about the analytical and experimental techniques developed since that time that allow us to understand the minerals and crystals that we love as collectors – the tools from which we learn how and why they form! We will talk about how the development of the scanning electron microscope, microprobe, and Raman spectroscopy have further increased the number of known minerals, and our understanding of how these treasures are made in nature.
Nathalie Brandes grew up studying geology from a very early age traveling around the world with her geologist father. She earned her BS and MS in geology at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (New Mexico Tech). After working at the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources, she pursued her doctoral studies at Michigan Technological University. She has taught at Michigan Tech, the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, and the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, before accepting a position as Professor of Geosciences at Lonestar College- Montgomery, a community college in Texas, where she has been teaching for the past twenty years. Nathalie’s current research focuses on ancient mining techniques as well as the history and geology of classic mineral localities.
Nathalie is a member of the Management Team for Mindat.org, as well as on the Board of Directors for the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy. She is an active member of the Geological Society of America, the Geological Association of Canada, the British Micromount Society, the Mining History Association, The Russell Society, and the Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration.
Her hobbies include travel, reading, and writing. Her latest book Texas Rocks, A Guide to Geologic Sites in The Lone Star State was released in May. She is currently working on a book about Utah’s geology.