Marvelous Micromounts

TURNING TO “MICROS” FOR A UNIQUE EXPLORATION AND APPRECIATION OF ABUNDANT MINERALS IN FRANKLIN, NEW JERSEY

- BOB JONES

Few mineral deposits are as well known as Franklin, N.J. It has produced well over 200 different mineral species and is undoubt-edly one of the most visited by scientists and amateur collectors than any other locality. Its location in northern New Jersey puts it in the densely populated northeast, only an hour’s drive from New York City and in an area where there’s a high concentration of schools of higher learning and museums.

I have spent hundreds of hours collecting in the Franklin area while attending shows and visiting friends. I’ve even written a couple of books and several articles about the area, but have never collected its micro-minerals. Yet, I certainly enjoy looking at them and learning about them.

For convenience, I will refer to micro-minerals as micros, the most commonly used term for them, in this article. The photos of micro mount minerals throughout this article are those of noted micro-specialist Russ De Roo.

The study of minerals under magnification has been going on since the microscope’s invention just before 1600. The microscope played a vital role in studying minerals and discovering new species. Both scientists and amateur collectors have added immensely to mineral species’ lexicon by studying specimens using microscopes. The popularity of micro collecting has long been of significant interest within our hobby. Conferences, symposia, exhibitions, and club field trips have all featured the micro-mineral hobby.

PRIZED PERFECTION