Specimens from Dr. Bob Lauf's collection!

We are proud to feature a few rare and illustrated deaccessions from the collections of longtime mineral collector Dr. Bob Lauf, the author of the Mineral Collectors Guide books (Schiffer Publishing), widely seen at mineral shows and libraries.  Robert Lauf grew up in Chicago and attended the University of Illinois, ultimately receiving a Ph.D. in Metallurgical Engineering. His scientific career included over twenty years at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where he conducted research on topics ranging from nuclear fuel, coal by-products, materials synthesis, microwave processing, sensors, optical materials, and biomineralization. He has been granted over forty U.S. Patents for his inventions, many of which have become successful industrial products. He is now a Registered Patent Agent and technology consultant.