The Gem & Mineral Collector's Guide to Idaho [Paperback]

Lanny Ream (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1992

The Gem & Mineral Collector's Guide to Idaho Volume 1 is a family guide for the rockhound to locate agate, petrified wood, geodes, and mineral at many localities and collect them. Each locality has a complete description of the locality and access, including a map. Other information includes recommendations for the equipment to use and sources for other information that the rockhound may find useful. The Collector's Guide to Idaho is 34 pages long, 5 1/2 by 8 1/2 inch format, softcover, and contains black and white photos and maps.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

All of his life, Lanny R. Ream, has been interested in the outdoors. He began hiking, fishing, backpacking, camping and collecting minerals and gems in the wilds and mountains of the West as a child growing up in Western Washington. After completing college with a B.S. and M.S. in geology, he began a career that has taken him all over the west searching for geologic knowledge and for minerals, either for mining companies or as crystals and gems for personal interests. For the last decade, he has been writing and publishing books on the minerals and "popular geology" of the Northwest, and he publishes a monthly newsletter for mineral collectors -- Mineral News.

Product Details

• Paperback: 34 pages
• Publisher: Gem Guides Book Co (1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0928693058
• ISBN-13: 978-0928693058
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,877,258 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good starter book from "The Master", January 10, 2008

By 

Garret Romaine (Portland, Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Gem & Mineral Collector's Guide to Idaho (Paperback)

Lanny Ream is a giant among Pacific Northwest rockhounds; his thicker, detailed, and scientific books covering Washington and Idaho are definitive guides to even the most obscure minerals. This thin book is written more for beginners, and it has been a valuable resource for me in planning trips to the Gem State.

I used the information in this book to explore outside of Clarkia, Idaho. We ended up driving right to the kyanite locale on Freezeout Ridge. Unfortunately, we were in too much of a hurry to go on to Bathtub Mountain for twinned staurolite crystals, so that site is still on my list.

The locales that Ream lists right along US 95 seem a little unsafe, but I think that's true with all collecting spots near major highways. I'm not a big zeolite collector, so those locales didn't interest me much. But just reading the book has got me ready to try some pretty famous Idaho spots, such as Dismal Swamp, Challis, and Cuprum.

To keep costs low, the book has few photographs, no GPS readings, and no frills like a glossary, tumbling tips, etc. Still, it's a good start until something better comes along.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Review by JW, February 24, 2006

By 

surveyor "Surveyor" (Washington state) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Gem & Mineral Collector's Guide to Idaho (Paperback)

"The Gem & mineral collectors guide to idaho" describes some interesting collecting sites, unfortunately the directions to the sites are very poor. It would be difficult if not impossible to find most of the sites described without more information. GPS coordinates would be a great help. Quality maps would also be useful.

10 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars This Book is a Real Problem, June 12, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: The Gem & Mineral Collector's Guide to Idaho (Paperback)

I happen to live in one of the areas that Lanny Reams suggests is excellent rock hounding. Actually I own property that he suggests is great for finding certain minerals. I now spend a great deal of time telling ( or occasionally argueing with) people that "this is private property. You cannot dig here." The most frequent response is " Well it says in the book I can." Mr Reams does mention in his book that people should not go on posted land. There is no mention of asking permision to dig on private land. My land is not posted, but thanks to this book it soon will be. I would suggest before he writes anymore guidebooks he checks out propery and mineral rights of the owners of the land on which he reccomends rockhounding.