Comments about Valzergues Fluorite Mine book
  

What about fluorite?

The book "Valzergues fluorite mine"
E. Guillou-Gotkovsky
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Fluorite mining

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Gilles Emringer, collector

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FRANCE :

In the world Pantheon of the layers of this beautiful mineral which is the fluorite and which have a great modern importance in the industry in particular in France, Valzergues are the name of an old mine with modest quantity but with the name in charge of prestige because of its splendid yellow crystals, and of the thesis of doctorate of mineralogy of George Calas who made date in 1971 by identifying there the processes of colouring if varied fluorite.

The book is well structured and rests on a really exhaustive bibliographical compilation of geology, mineralogy and metallogeny, a patient research of testimonys, d'iconography old and crystals of private collections, and an illustrated report of the still accessible galleries. It's at the same time an encyclopaedia and a homage paid not only to the fluorite of Valzergues, but also to the romantic landscapes of the mine, with the men, women and children who devoted a part of their life to it since 1927, with the fluorite in general and the famous mining district of Rouergue in particular.

It's one of the first works to give clear explanations on the use of the fluorite like metallurgy flux illustrated by a rich person old iconography. It in general gives also a panorama well documented of the genesis of the fluorinated seams and colouring of the crystals, resting on the most recent advanced scientists.

The luxury and the care of the provider are with the height of the pleasure of having an exhaustive work, of relevance and on a subject at the same time set of themes and regional, these advantages largely justifying the price. The book, illustrated many rare quality photographs, is accessible to the largest people as with most demanding. By his scholarship and his love of the mines and especially of the Men who do them, Etienne Guillou gives to the mining job a developing image of the mineral collectors and the mining archaeologists (professional or beginners) which reconciles the points of view and proves the complementarities.

Jean Feraud (BRGM et EuroGeoSurveys, Bruxelles)
In Géochronique - Revue du Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières (B.R.G.M.) et de la Société Géologique de France (S.G.F.) - Geochronique n° 74 (2000) p. 32.

" Fluorite, mine of Valzergues, yellow seam, add to these things a good amount of passion, a peel the serious one, a large research task, the blind and simple faith, print overall on art paper shining, connect the whole, equip the jacket and you obtain a reference work de in the fields of mineralogy and of the story of mining Frenchwoman entitled: The Mine of Fluorite of Valzergues (Aveyron)... Excuse the a little commercial language, but this work is undoubtedly the best produced mineralogical and mining bibliophilism French of this end of century for his report/ratio quality/price "



Pierre-Christian GUIOLLARD

Le Règne Minéral n°31


" This book is a beautiful homage paid to those which made live the mine. It's also an important contribution to the development of the mineralogical inheritance French "

Guy BARBIER - Secrétaire adjoint d'ABC Mines -
Responsable de la Bibliothèque de l'ENSMP à Fontainebleau in ABC Mines

…see also the " Revue de Gemmologie " n°140 - Juillet 2000

U.S.A. :

" …The author has scoured France for rare documents, old photos, research material and the best specimens in order to create this excellent book, which was clearly a labor of love … …Well published in large format on high quality paper, this book is a fine contribution to the litterature of important localities. It will surely establish Valzergues as one of France's premier fluorite occurrences along with such other famous French occurrences as Fontsante, Beix and Chamonix. "

Wendell E. WILSON
The Mineralogical Record, vol.31, july-August 2000


UNITED KINGDOM :

" … Etienne is a fanatical lover of fluorite and he has devoted a lot of time and work to the former mine of Valzergues. This enthusiasm shows in the book which is a superb production from the point of view of both the contents and the physical construction. "

Steve LAURIE

The Russell Society Newsletter - Issue 36 - March 2000

See also " The Journal of Gemmology " - Vol.27 n°5 - January 2001

GERMANY :

« Filon Jaune », der « Gelbe Gang » von Valzergues. Bis 10 Meter große Drusen !1989 die berühmten bernsteinfarbenen Fluorite : « Honigspat » - Würfel bis 28 cm Kantenlänge. 1996 dann der größte Fluorit : 37 x 22 x 18 cm und 90 Kilo schwer ! Dazu wunderschöne klare Durchdringungszwillinge…( …)
Der äußerst detaillierte und anspruchsvolle Text erfordert stellenweise gut Französischkenntnisse. Die zentralen Kapitel sprechen allerdings schon durch ihre Abbildungen, so daß ich das liebevoll hergestellte Werk wirklich jedem passionierten Fluoritsammler wärmstens empfehlen kann. »


Stefan Weiß
in Lapis n°48 (12/2000)

 

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E. Guillou-Gotkovsky© 2000-2017
23/11/08