The present work is the first comprehensive study of mineralogy of the world's second largest mercury mine Idria. In the first chapter the readers are acquainted with the history of mining and its relation to mineralogy. Mineralogy is explained in terms of geological processes that were active during the formation of the ore deposit. Among these, hydrocarbons present in the host rocks play a very important role during crystallization. The central part of the book is dedicated to the main mineral of the ore deposit, cinnabar. It occurs in a variety of crystal forms, of which the most special are lateral interpenetration twins. The book is written for a broad readership, and will be interesting for geologists, mineralogist and crystallographers, as well as for those interested in the history of mineral collecting in Idria.

This volume covers the occurrence, interpretation and significance of bitumens (hydrocarbon residues) in ore deposits. Bitumens occur with a wide variety of ores, including deposits of base metals, mercury, uranium, gold and other precious metals. The papers included reflect this variety of bitumen occurrences and the potential for obtaining useful data from them. The contributions are written by acknowledged experts in this field, who cover analytical techniques and case studies using diverse petrographic and geochemical approaches which will give ore geologists and geochemists an excellent insight into the interpretation of bitumens during mineral exploration. The large number of plates in particular will help the non-specialist to make good use of the volume through the application to new deposits. This is the most comprehensive set of contributions published on a subject of growing interest; at a time when explorationists are increasingly recognising the occurrence of bitumens in ore deposits and the fact that the evolution of mineralising fluids and hydrocarbon fluids may be closely interlinked.

The Joint 6th Biennial SGA-SEG Meeting was held in Krakow in August 2001. This volume contains 274 extended abstracts, grouped thematically under 18 session titles covering topics such as lead-zinc deposits; metamorphism affecting mineral deposits; and the environmental aspects of mining.