Julian lives in Hillsboro, Oregon with his wife of 25 years and counting. He began collecting minerals in his home state of Georgia when he was 12 years old. Encouraged by his parents and friends, Julian read everything he could get his hand’s on regarding rock collecting and gem cutting. Throughout high school and college, he spent free time collecting in north Georgia and polishing gems in his home lapidary sop. By the time he entered Georgia State University to get his geology degree, he had the beginnings of his home laboratory and library.
His interest in minerals extends to the study of micro-minerals, sand collecting (sand is after all just tiny minerals), mineral stamps, faceting gems, and optical mineralogy. Julian also has an extensive personal research library. Julian is active in several local and national rock and mineral clubs as well as professional societies: the Tualatin Valley Gem Club, The Columbia Willamette Faceters Guild, the Oregon Agate and Mineral Society, Pacific Northwest Chapter of Friends of Mineralogy, and the Geological Soceity of the Oregon Country. Julian also heads the Micromount Section of the Georgia Mineral Society, which is run virtually through Zoom meetings.
Julian does have a life outside mineral collecting. He and his wife both enjoy hikes in the mountains and coasts or the Pacific Northwest. They also share a love of classical music and baseball, both of which are available in Hillsboro and another city to the east: Portland. Summers are filled with great professional baseball from the Hillsboro Hops who play at Ron Tonkin Field, just 2.2 miles from his house. Julian and Barb regularly attend concerts of the Portland Columbia Symphony Orchestra, the Oregon Sinfonietta, and the Oregon Symphony in the fall and winter seasons each year, as well as concerts by the Chamber Music Northwest.
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