Sir Arthur Russell (1878-1964) was one of the last ‘great’ self-taught mineralogists. He amassed a high-quality mineral collection, rose to become President of the Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland, and was awarded several prestigious medals for his mineralogical research. He rubbed shoulders and forged relationships with many famous mineralogists, and was a valued consultant to the mineral industries. This talk draws upon more than four years’ research for a recently published book, tells of how minerals were his life, and will celebrate the diversity of colour and form, of chemistry and structure, and the rich geological and mining heritage of these islands that Sir Arthur was proud to call his home.