A comprehensive, illustrated identification guide for beginners and serious collectors, which includes specially colored photographs of specimens kept at the Natural History Museum in London. Stones and minerals are naturally compatible formations created by intense geological processes in the Earth's crust, such as volcanic eruptions. With striking colored photographs of stones and minerals from around the world, this detailed and easy-to-use guide is designed to help readers identify specimens and start collecting. Fully vetted by the Department of Mineralogy at the Natural History Museum in London, this guide will provide you with geological knowledge at your fingertips.