Where in the world can man find more to excite the curiosity in the wonders of the earth than in Southern Africa?  Here is a vast territory enriched by deposits of almost every known mineral deposits which have shaped history and which have made and enormous contribution to the health, wealth and happiness of the people of the subcontinent. This book is for all who thrill to the feel, the colour, the shape and the size of the mineral wonders at their feet. I will stimulate and satisfy their curiosity and, it is hoped will lead to many a lifelong interest in this fascinating and rewarding subject. Wile scientific in its approach this work is primarily for the layman, covering, as it does all that he may wish to know about the subject. Chapters include mineral collecting, general geology, minerals and features which help to identify them, tables for identification, chemical tests, crystals and cutting and polishing. The author is a leading university lecturer in mineralogy and he devotes much of his time to practical work in the field. He makes full use of diagrams and charts to illustrate his subject. With 40 full colour plates and 80 black and white photographs This is the first such book to be published.