gems, Russia, Ural Mountains, Saranovskoye, uvarovite garnet, Cr-grossular- Cr-sphene, beryl, emerald, chrysoberyl, alexandrite, jade, jadeite

Russia—a vast “mineral kingdom.” It stretches from Eastern Europe to the far reaches of northern Asia. Even during the time of the Russian tsars, magnificent mineral specimens were brought to the West. Whether from the Kola Peninsula, the Urals, the Baikal region, Transbaikalia, or the Russian Far East—each of these regions is known for minerals and gemstones that rank among the best in the world. Today, Dalnegorsk is one of Russia’s most famous and celebrated localities, yielding spectacular quartz crystals, calcite twins, water-clear fluorites, as well as high-quality ilvaite and galena in extraordinary form and variety. Contents: Mineralogical East–West friendships (Maximilian Glas) / The geological map of Russia (Christian Weise) / It began with beryl… (René Triebl) / The Kola Peninsula and Karelia (Rupert Hochleitner) / The Urals from the Arctic Ocean to the Aral Sea (Rupert Hochleitner) / Siberia – from the Urals to Chukotka (Rupert Hochleitner) / Far East from Dalnegorsk to Kamchatka (Rupert Hochleitner) / Important localities in Russia and their minerals (Michael Huber).