The Section of Minerals staff is currently in the process of re-cataloging the entire mineral collection which consists of approximately 27,000 specimens. A large portion of these specimens date back to the 19th century which mandates that the species name and locality information be updated in the collections database to include the modern nomenclature and ever-changing geographic names.

With the acquisition of approximately 5,000 Pennsylvania specimens in 2006 that were formerly part of the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia’s collection, research into the history and importance of minerals and mineral localities in Pennsylvania was initiated. These additional specimens, combined with the nearly 3,000 already in the collection and specimens on loan from the Bryon Brookmyer collection, make the Section of Minerals an important repository of Pennsylvania’s mineral heritage.

The staff is also diligent about upgrading mineral specimens on exhibit in Hillman Hall of Minerals and Gems and bringing specimens of display quality from new mineral discoveries into the exhibits as they become available.

Exhibit Wins Award

The Mineral Oddities exhibit that the Section of Minerals displayed at the 2009 Tucson Gem & Mineral Show won the award for Friends of Mineralogy’s Best Educational Exhibit by an Institution. Click on the images below for a larger view.