Gem Exhibit Natural History Museum
If you believe you have a suspected meteorite you may send photos to .
Please attach clearly focused images of your specimen in proper lighting. It is helpful if you include close-up images focused on the texture . Please also state if your specimen attracts a magnet and if you have conducted a streak test, what color mark resulted.
Given security concerns, the Division of Meteorites of the Smithsonian Institution does not accept suspected meteorites for examination or testing. While we understand the excitement you feel in thinking you have a meteorite, it is likely either a terrestrial rock or piece of slag .
Due to limited staffing and security concerns, we are not able to accommodate in-person identifications. If you prefer to speak to a geologist in-person rather then send us photos you might try reaching out to a university, museum, or geology club in your area.
Staff will attempt to reply, however, as this is an unmanned resource account, it may take 6-8 weeks before we are able to read your email, identify the samples in your photos, and reply to you. Of final note, due to the high volume of inquiries received, only those objects that elicit further interest may receive responses from museum staff.
Tim McCoy
Mineral Sciences
Rock and sand specimens that have been struck by lightning, and pseudofulgurites from various localities. 69 specimens.
Natural History Museum Of Los Angeles County
- Closed: New Years Day, July 4th, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day
- Parking: Pay parking lot
- Metro: The museum is halfway between the Metro Expo Line Expo Park/USC stop and the Expo/Vermont stop, which are both very close. Several bus lines also stop nearby.
- Time needed: Minimum 2 hours for a walkthrough, up to a full day if you read the text panels and interactive displays, play around in the Nature Lab and attend any shows or special activities.
NHM originally opened in Exposition Park in 1913 as the Los Angeles County Museum of History, Science and Art in the domed brick building that is now the east wing of the current museum. The museum was expanded to approximately double its size in 1920 and doubled again in 1927-30. An auditorium was added to the west end in 1958-60 and a north entrance and fountain were part of a major expansion in 1976. The glass Otis Pavilion, which is the current north entrance, a new Nature Garden and a separate ticket booth off the new parking garage were added in 2013 for the museums 100th birthday.
When the museum opened in 1913, they had a hard time coming up with art to exhibit in the art wing, but by the 1960s, the Countys art holdings were substantial enough to warrant a separate museum. The art component was moved to what is now the Los Angeles County Museum of Art on Wilshire Boulevard, and the name of the Exposition Park museum was changed to the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County .
American Museum Of Natural History Unveils Shining New Halls Of Gems And Minerals As Visitors Continue To Return
As New York City welcomes back its gems, including restaurants and Broadway shows, on its road to COVID-19 recovery, the American Museum of Natural History is also doing so in quite the literal sense.
On June 12, the iconic museums Alison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals will make its re-debut to the public with a major redesign and more than 5,000 specimens including a 632-carat emerald to marvel at.
It is absolutely thrilling and its also such a positive thing, for New York and for the museum, AMNH president Ellen Futter told Travel + Leisure of the Halls reopening, noting that the timing couldnt be better.
They are unique for this moment, she said. They offer the perfect antidote for pandemic stress and uncertainty because theyre so grounding, theyre so elemental and so joyful. And who doesnt love something thats shiny and gorgeous?
Additionally, inside the Halls, visitors will find a temporary exhibit, Beautiful Creatures, which houses animal-inspired jewels with the most notable being created by Cartier and Tiffany.
The museum no longer has capacity limits, however, timed reservations are required until June 21 and visitors must wear facemasks. At the time of its September reopening, the attraction operated at 25% capacity.
You can feel the change, people are here, Futter said of the increasing amount of visitors.
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Museum Of Natural History
Whats bigger, you or a blue whales rib bone? Can you tell the difference between a drone bee and a worker bee? How old do you think Gus the tortoise is?
Discover the answer to these questions and more as you explore the wonders of Nova Scotias land and sea at the Museum of Natural History. See ancient fossils, glittering gold, stunning Mikmaq artifacts, sea creatures from an ocean tide pool, deadly mushrooms, frogs, snakes and salamanders. From an eagles nest to the ocean floor, theres something for everyone.
Some Famous Gems Get A New Setting
The Star of India, the Patricia Emerald and others return to public view in the newly redesigned halls at the American Museum of Natural History.
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To reach one of the most anticipated new destinations in New York City, you have to sidestep dinosaur fossils and hang a right at the cluster of meteorites. Its a long and winding road to a gemstone jackpot.
On the ground floor of the American Museum of Natural History, the finishing touches are being put on the Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals, scheduled to open June 12. The $32 million redesign took place during a closure of more than three and a half years, extended by pandemic-related delays.
George Harlow, the departments curator, said the opening would be the culminating achievement of his more than 45 years at the museum. Id been politicking for this for years, Dr. Harlow said. The old space was very much like being in a mine.
And while he described himself as a great fan of that 1976 design, he said, We did our best to keep it up-to-date, but it had reached its limit.
The new, open plan for the 11,000-square-foot space was meant to inspire spontaneous wandering among the exhibits. Its much more random in the sense that you can walk all around, Dr. Harlow said.
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Section Of Minerals Collection Featured In Museum Displays
Hillman Hall of Minerals and Gems showcases more than 1,300 minerals and gems from all over the world and has gained an international reputation as one of the finest and most important mineral exhibitions in the world. New acquisitions are added to the collection on an ongoing basis. This breathtaking exhibition hall is the culmination of the science, beauty, and history of minerals. See more of this amazing hall in the Hillman Hall of Minerals and Gems online exhibit.
Wertz Gallery: Gems & Jewelry is a 2,000-square-foot addition to Hillman Hall of Minerals and Gems dedicated to gems, the crystals from which they come, and jewelry comprised of these precious stones. Wertz Gallery is named in honor of Ronald W. Wertz, longtime president of the Hillman Foundation. Over 500 gems, crystals, pieces of jewelry and other gem art are on display in the permanent collection of Wertz Gallery including the stunning Birthstones exhibit. In addition, Wertz Gallery hosts special temporary and traveling exhibitions from around the world.
Cullen Hall Of Gems And Minerals
Permanent CollectionGet Tickets
From a huge amethyst weighing more than 850 lbs to a crystallized gold cluster that is one of the most highly coveted objects in the mineral kingdom, the spectacular specimens on display here are true masterpieces the Rembrandts and Picassos of the natural world.
Discover more than 450 beautifully crystallized mineral specimens, including some of the worlds most rare and beautiful examples. Examine these dazzling treasures in detail from all angles through walk-around display cases illuminated by fiber-optic lighting to provide optimum viewing.
The nearby Smith Gem Vault showcases stunning jewelry and gem-cut minerals.
Curator: Joel A. Bartsch
Native Texan and longtime Houstonian, Joel Bartsch was first hired as a security guard at the Houston Museum of Natural Science in 1984, and was appointed President & CEO of the Museum in 2004. His previous years of service at the Museum included his position as Curator of the Cullen.
Also curates the following:
Hailing from an island of gemstones, Siren of Serendip is one of the worlds largest blue sapphires. This magnificent and
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Natural History Museum Of Los Angeles County Unveils Jewelry And Gem Exhibit
The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County just unveiled a new exhibit called Brilliance: The Art and Science of Rare Jewels. Appearing in the museums Gem Vault for a limited engagement are more than 100 spectacular objects necklaces, bracelets, rings, earrings and unmounted gems drawn primarily from the works of master jewelry designer Robert Procop.
The museum is encouraging visitors to discover how gems and minerals are used in a wide variety of fields, from jewelry design to scientific research in geology, chemistry, physics and other disciplines. Procops jewelry is paired with the museums mineral collection to encourage visitors to make the connection between the dazzling finished jewelry and the rough, uncut gems.
The displays will explain how scientists use exceptional stones to learn about Earth processes, and, in turn, gain a better understanding of how our planet works.
This is about discovery, its about wonder. Its an inspiration of what can be found in this mother Earth that has such rarities, Procop told the Los Angeles Daily News.
The exhibition, which opened on December 8 and will run through February 21, 2022, will include a number of head-turning pieces. Among the highlights are the 42.72-carat Pink Starburst diamond, the fancy blue 46.39-carat Celeste Diamond and the 21.01-carat Ceylon Star sapphire.
A New York Museum Staple Gets A New Glimmer
At the redesigned Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals, which opens June 12, the evolution of minerals is front and center.
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This article is part of our latest special report on Museums, which focuses on reopening, reinvention and resilience.
When most of us hear the word evolution we think of Charles Darwin or the Lucy skeleton. We generally do not think about nonliving things, like rocks.
But in recent years, scientists have begun applying the concept of evolution to a specific nonliving but ubiquitous object: minerals. This new perspective allows for a different kind of storytelling about both minerals, which are often found as sparkly, colorful crystals within rock, and the history of the planet.
As the American Museum of Natural History in New York City prepares to reopen its redesigned Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals on June 12, evolution is front and center.
George Harlow, a geologist who has been the curator of gems and minerals at the museum for nearly 45 years, said when scientists talk about the evolution of inanimate things, they are referring to changes that happen over time. Its an answer to the question of why, as life on Earth has changed over the last 4.5 billion years, have nonliving minerals changed too.
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Museum Of Natural History Unveils New Hall Of Gems After Years Of Renovationand It Looks Incredible
After 3 years of renovations, the American Museum of Natural History has finally announced that it will open their completely redesigned hall of gems this upcoming falland the newly renovated facility is likely to be awe-inspiring.
The Allison and Roberto Mignone Hall of Gems and Minerals has been a part of the museum since the 1970s, although it has been closed for the last three years so curators could dramatically improve its accessibility and content.
The 11,000-square-foot halls have now been optimized to be a brilliant showcase for one of the greatest collections of its kind and an engaging guide to recent science about our dynamic planet.
The redesigned wing of the museum will feature recently acquired specimens, including two remarkable amethyst geodes that are among the worlds largest on public display a gallery of gems re-presenting treasures such as the legendary 563-carat Star of India sapphire and 632-carat Patricia emerald and the halls first temporary exhibition gallery, opening with Beautiful Creatures, a celebration of exquisite historic and contemporary jewelry inspired by animals.
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Jewelry in animal forms featured in the temporary exhibition gallery will include pieces by Cartier, Bulgari, and Tiffany & Co., as well as by contemporary designers such as Bina Goenka.
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American Museum Of Natural History In New York Unveils Spectacular New Halls Of Gems And Minerals
After a four-year renovation, the 11,000-square-foot Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals at the American Museum of Natural History in New York will reopen on June 12, among the first major new cultural facilities to welcome the public as the city reopens.
Telling the fascinating story of how minerals in their vast diversity formed on Earth and how humans have used them throughout the millennia for personal adornment, tools and technology, the halls feature over 5,000 specimens from over 98 countries.
An amethyst geode, center, at the entrance to the new Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals inside the … American Museum of Natural History in New York,
Highlights include:
*A gallery of dazzling gems, including the legendary 563-carat Star of India sapphire, gem crystals like the 632-carat Patricia Emerald, and the Organdie necklace designed by Michelle Ong for Carnet, with 110 carats of diamonds
*Fabulous new specimens, many never before exhibited, including a pair of towering, sparkling amethyst geodes that are among the worlds largest on display a slice of a 35-million-year-old metasequoia the nine-pound almandine Subway Garnet, discovered under Manhattans 35th Street in 1885 and the Tarugo, a three-foot-tall. cranberry-red elbaite tourmaline that is one of the most fantastic mineral crystal clusters ever found
*The Butterfly of Peace, 240 colored diamonds arranged in a symmetrical pattern of similar cuts and colors
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Harry Frank Guggenheim Hall Of Gems And Minerals
| It has been suggested that this article be merged with Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals. Proposed since January 2022. |
The Guggenheim Hall was an exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, that hosted one of the worlds largest geological collections. In 2017 the hall closed to undergo a complete redesign. The new exhibit, called the Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals, reopened in 2021.
The Guggenheim Hall focused on petrology, mineralization and the anthropology of gems and minerals. It was the permanent home of the Star of India, one of the worlds largest star sapphires. The hall was operated by the museums department of Earth and Planetary Sciences.
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This Redesigned Exhibit Totally Rocks
Sorry, we had to
The American Museum of Natural History has announced that The Allison and Roberto Mignone Hall of Gems and Minerals finally opened to the public this past June, and its not to be missed.
The hall has been part of the museum since the 70s, and closed in 2017 to be redesigned as one of the New York icons 150th anniversary projects. It was originally supposed to open this past fall, then in February of 2021, but because of the pandemic, it was pushed back to this spring.
We got to witness the completely dazzling display in person, and it did not disappoint!
When you enter the Halls, you truly feel as if youve walked into the worlds jewelry box, said Allison Mignone, vice chair of the Museums campaign. And we definitely felt that way too.
The piece de resistance is right at the entrance a 9-foot-tall amethyst geode, sparkling incandescently in bright purple.
Its back-to-back with another similar but taller specimen this one clocking in a at12 feet. They are both from Uruguay, and are some of the worlds largest on display in public.
At a whopping 11,000 square feet, the new hall has been updated in both design and tech: there are interactive displays, touchable specimens, and media.
Here are some of the unbelievable main elements the new space includes:
- 3-foot-tall cranberry-colored elbaite tourmaline that is one of the largest intact mineral crystal clusters ever found:
Plus:
We think its New York Citys most sparkling exhibit yet!
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Museum Offers Free Admission To Tribal Members For Novemberyour Browser Indicates If Youve Visited This Link
The following is a news release from Idaho State University. POCATELLO In honor of National American Indian Heritage Month, the Idaho Museum of NaturalHistory on the Idaho State University Pocatello campus will offer free museum admission to tribal members during the month of November.
East Idaho News
All That Glitters The Splendor And Science Of Gems And Minerals
Did you know that every glittering ruby, sapphire, diamond, and opal has a history as old as the Earth itself? Discover how the same Earth processes that build landscapes produce dazzling gemstones and precious metalseven right here in San Diego County, one of the most famous gem-producing regions in the world.
Witness a stunning selection of spectacular natural mineral crystals, exquisite jewelry, and works of art. See objects on display for the first time ever. Discover first finds in the world, found right here in California: benitoite, gold, kunzite and morganite. View stunning objects on loan from private collectors and major U.S. institutions including the American Museum of Natural History, Gemological Institute of America , Harvard University Mineralogical Museum, Newark Museum and National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.
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