Synopsis
Familiar Lessons On Mineralogy And Geology: Explaining The Easiest Methods Of Discriminating Metals, Earths, And Rocks. To Which Has Been Added A Practical Description Of The Use Of The Lapidarys' Apparatus" by John Mawe. This early 19th-century manual is a beginner's guide to mineralogy and geology. It presents simple, practical tests for distinguishing minerals, rocks, and metals, combining observational exercises with affordable, non-technical instructions. Topics cover the identification of common substances such as quartz, calcareous spar, pyrites, native metals, and ores of copper, silver, lead, iron, tin, zinc, mercury, cobalt, nickel, and more, using blow-pipe tests, acids, and basic chemical reactions. The book also explains the exterior forms of crystals, the five earths, and the major geological formations—Primitive, Secondary, Floetz, and Alluvial deposits—along with a frontispiece and colored plates. It includes a section on the portable lapidaries’ apparatus for cutting and polishing stones. Written to aid learners and artisans, the work blends practical mining knowledge with chemistry to cultivate useful scientific understanding.
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