Abstract

MELGAREJO, Joan Carles et al. Collection minerals as an economic resource for developing countries. Bol. Soc. Geol. Mex [online]. 2010, vol.62, n.1, pp.55-100. ISSN 1405-3322.

Mineral collecting is a growing activity. The high demand for minerals and their derivatives has resulted in the creation of micro-companies around the mineral trade in developing countries. This activity could facilitate the development of rural areas with no need of a large capital investment and with minimal environmental impact. The high quality of their products is the most important aspect for the survival of these micro-companies, but nowadays the material that comes from developing countries does not always arrive in the best condition. In this essay the basic criteria are provided for identifying the kind of minerals that are interesting enough to be commercialized, and also the procedures recommended for commercializing them from the place where they are extracted to their point of sale.

Keywords : popular mineralogy; collecting; micro-companies; developing countries.