The Sterling Hill Slab
Another highlight of the new Hall of Gems and Minerals is the slab of ore from the Sterling Hill Mine in New Jersey. The rock is a giant piece of marble hosting zincite, willemite, and franklinite. Apart from the stunning colors and textures, whats even more amazing about the panel is its mind-bending ability to showcase a display of dazzling lights that change and flicker depending on the overhead light being directed toward it.
The Sterling Fluorescent Rock Panel is considered a centerpiece, especially when its glowing in splendid shades of green and orange. If youre new to gems and minerals and youre wondering what rocks can make such a spontaneous display of colors when given the right lighting, you can check FossilEra.com for a collection of minerals that you could help point you in the right direction. Online resources can greatly help sustain your curiosity when it comes to gems and minerals that you can buy or collect.
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.
The Okavango Blue Diamond
Diamonds may be an ordinary sight these days, particularly in jewels and other accentuated accessories. However, youre in for a surprise if youre looking for something more spectacular than the usual brilliance of diamond you get to see on normal days. The Okavango Blue Diamond features a presentation like no other. This, thanks to its fancy deep blue color, is one of the rarest and most beautiful colors you can find in natural diamonds.
Beyond its attractive color and glitter, the rock from Botswana is also appraised as nearly flawless. You can find this jaw-dropping gem at the Melissa and Keith Meister Gallery inside the new Hall of Gems and Minerals. The Okavango is currently on loan from the company and was put on exhibit in the hopes of drawing more interest in the ethical and sustainable mining industry of Botswana.
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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.
American Museum Of Natural History To Open New Allison And Roberto Mignone Halls Of Gems And Minerals
The American Museum of Natural History has announced that it will open the all-new Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals on February 17, 2021. A brilliant showcase for one of the greatest collections of its kind and an engaging guide to recent science about our dynamic planet, the 11,000-square-foot halls will feature:
recently acquired specimens, including a 3,000-pound block of iridescent green and blue labradorite, two remarkable amethyst geodes which, at 12 and 9 feet tall, are among the worlds largest on public display, and a slice of a fossilized tree called a metasequoia that lived between 35 and 33 million years ago
like the Singing Stone, a massive block of vibrant blue azurite and green malachite that was first exhibited at the 1893 Worlds Fair in Chicago, and legendary gems such as the 563-carat Star of India sapphire and 632-carat Patricia Emerald
a luminous gallery featuring a wall-sized panel of rock glowing fluorescently in brilliant orange and green
and the halls first temporary exhibition space, the Melissa and Keith Meister Gallery, opening with Beautiful Creatures, a celebration of exquisite historic and contemporary jewelry inspired by animals, with pieces by Cartier, Tiffany & Co., and Van Cleef & Arpels, as well as by contemporary designers such as Bina Goenka.
Museum Reopening and New Health Protocols
Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals
Master of Arts in Teaching Program
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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!
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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Reimagined Gem Halls At American Museum Of Natural History Set To Reopen This Spring
Fans of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City are anxiously awaiting the Spring 2021 reopening of the completely reimagined Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals.
The 11,000-square-foot halls will feature some remarkable new attractions, including two amethyst geodes that are among the worlds largest on public display. Sourced in Uruguay, the geodes tower to a height of 12 feet and 9 feet, respectively.
Other high-profile specimens include the legendary 563-carat Star of India sapphire, 632-carat Patricia emerald, a 3,000-pound block of iridescent green and blue labradorite and the 9-pound almandine subway garnet that was discovered under Manhattans 35th Street in 1885.
Titled Beautiful Creatures, the renovated halls first temporary exhibition gallery celebrates historic and contemporary jewelry inspired by animals. The gallery will include pieces by Cartier, Bulgari and Tiffany & Co., as well as by contemporary designers, such as Bina Goenka.
When I first started as a curator at the Museum over 40 years ago, the most recent version of these galleries had just opened. Science has progressed significantly in that time, such as with the concept of mineral evolution, said George E. Harlow, curator of the new halls. These new exhibits will present our current scientific understanding of gems and minerals, present the environments in which they form, and focus on the intimate relationship between minerals and life.
Telling A Story Through The Gems
By telling the fascinating stories of the complex processes that gave rise to the extraordinary diversity of minerals on our dynamic planet and describing how people have used them throughout history for personal adornment, tools, and technology, the Halls will not just be glittering but also intellectually engaging.
On your next trip to the Museum of Natural History, check out the hall of gems. You wont be disappointed!
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A Gem Of A Hall: The Mignone Halls Of Gems & Minerals Make
2021-06-10 11:05:33
After a COVID-19-related delay, the American Museum of Natural History will reopen one of its most popular and beloved spaces on June 12 as the completely redesigned and reinstalled Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals.
New Yorkers and visitors have long embraced these halls as one of the citys treasures, said Ellen V. Futter, president of the American Museum of Natural History. Now, with this complete redesign made possible by Allison and Roberto Mignone, the halls are more spectacular than ever and an even greater resource for learning about the processes that shape our changing planet and make it so endlessly fascinating. With their reopening, we not only mark a signal moment in the resurgence of New York City and the renewal of its cultural life but also, we hope, accelerate its pace.
A temporary exhibition space, the Melissa and Keith Meister Gallery, will open with Beautiful Creatures, a first-ever exhibit of historic and contemporary jewelry inspired by animals.
Found in Colombia in 1920, the 632-carat Patricia Emerald is a dihexagonal, or 12-sided, crystal and is one of the very few large emeralds that have been preserved uncut
Telling a Story
Hall Highlights
Beautiful Creatures Inaugural Temporary Exhibition
Allison And Roberto Mignone Halls Of Gems And Minerals
The Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals are a series of exhibition halls at the American Museum of Natural History on the Upper West Side in Manhattan, New York City. The halls opened on June 12, 2021, as a complete redesign of their predecessors, the Harry Frank Guggenheim Hall of Gems and Minerals and Morgan Memorial Hall of Gems. The halls feature thousands of rare gems, mineral specimens and pieces of jewelry.
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The Refurbished Gem Halls Within The Iconic Upper West Side Museum Will Fully Reopen Four Years After First Closing Down For Renovation
UPPER WEST SIDE, NY After four years of closure, the American Museum of Natural History will reopen the revamped Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals within the iconic Upper West Side museum.
The gem halls closed for renovations in 2017 and planned to reopen in the fall of 2020, but the pandemic delayed it. The reimagined gem and mineral collection will reopen to the public on June 12.
The American Museum of Natural History recently released a video preview of the new gem and mineral halls.
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 .
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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.
In Photos: See Inside The American Museum Of Natural Historys New Hall Of Gems Dedicated To Natures Art
The hall has been completely renovated to showcase “nature’s art.”
Sarah Cascone, June 9, 2021
Four years ago, the Halls of Gems and Minerals at New Yorks American Museum of Natural History closed for long-overdue renovations. The cavelike space, deliberately designed to evoke the feeling of the mines where many of the specimens on display had been excavated, had been essentially untouched since 1976.
This week, it reopens to the public and features some 5,500 objects, from polished diamonds to rough-hewn sandstone.
I think its fair to say that no space, no gallery is quite as glittering as these new halls, museum president Ellen Futter said at the press preview.
The 11,000-square-foot halls have traditionally been one of the museums most beloved attractions, and the museum is predicting that it will be a major draw for tourists returning to the city.
Visitors in Minerals Hall at the American Museum of Natural History examine the Singing Stone, a 4.5 ton block of vibrant blue azurite and green malachite from Arizona that hums with changes in humidity. The climate control in the new hall prevents this from happening. Photo courtesy of the American Museum of Natural History.
There is something truly elemental and visceral about our connection to the minerals and materials of the earth on which we live, Futter said. Didnt we all collect rocks as children? And who among us doesnt appreciate a spectacular gem?
See more photos from the halls below.
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A Long Line Of History
Halls like these are crucial and tangible teaching tools that communicate an understanding of humanitys place in the universe, said Allison Mignone. Our familys experiences at the Museum have helped us see the discoveriesand remarkable stories, such as those that will be featured in these renovated galleries, are told.
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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