Quintin Wight is widely considered the “dean of micromounting” within the mineralogical community. As a Canadian mineralogist (often referred to as Col. Quintin Wight due to his military background), he has been a pivotal figure in bridging the gap between hobbyist collecting and serious mineralogical research.
He is the author of “The Complete Book of Micromounting”, published in 1993 by the Mineralogical Record. This book is the definitive “bible” for the niche. It covers:
- Historical Context: The evolution of micromounting from the 17th century to today.
- Technical Mastery: Detailed instructions on trimming, cleaning, and permanently mounting specimens in the standard 1-inch (25mm) plastic boxes.
- Curation: Methods for identification, cataloging, and conservation.
- Optics: Guidance on choosing and using stereomicroscopes and micro-photography equipment.
Quintin is a leading authority on the rare alkaline minerals from Mont Saint-Hilaire, Québec. He has authored numerous articles in Mineralogical Record and Rocks and Minerals detailing the complex chemistry and crystallography of species from this world-class locality.
- The “Through the ‘Scope” Column: For years, he has authored the regular column “Through the ‘Scope” in Rocks & Minerals magazine, keeping the community updated on new finds, techniques, and symposia.
- Hall of Fame: He was inducted into the Micromounter’s Hall of Fame in 1990 in recognition of his tireless efforts in education and his generosity in sharing self-collected specimens with other collectors.
- He has served as president of several major organisations, including the Ottawa Micromounters, the Montreal Gem and Mineral Club, and the Micro Mineralogists of the National Capital Area in Washington, D.C.
Quintin often emphasises that micromounting is an art form as much as a science. Because the crystals are smaller, they are frequently more perfect (euhedral) and undamaged compared to “cabinet-sized” specimens. His work encourages collectors to focus on the aesthetics of the “mount”—the precise orientation of the crystal within its box—to best showcase its symmetry and luster.
The specimen shown below came from Quintin via Jocelyn Thornton, a well-known New Zealand micromounter. In recent times, Jocelyn has been distributing much of her collection to others, and I was fortunate to be the recipient of her Mont Saint Hilaire micros.
Below: Quintin presenting a talk on Mont Saint Hilaire.
Below: Lorenzenite (green), calcite (red), and quartz. In person, the lorenzenite is a little more yellowish in colour. Photographed under medium wave UV. Width of view 5mm.
