When we made our visit to the Smithsonian gem and mineral hall, we took hundreds of photos. After going through all of them, there are over 60 we felt worthwhile to post. Instead of making one long post with all of them, we divided then into several posts of related items. We had to think of a common grouping method, so we chose to separate the posts by mineral type classification. This post shows some of the oxides, sulfides, and halides in the Smithsonian collection.
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Cubic
Halite with
Calcite from Eisleben, Thuringen, Germany
Magnetite Octahedrons in Matrix from Binnantal, Valais, Switzerland
Green
Fluorite Crystal and Cut Gems from Westmoreland, New Hampshire
Cumengite Crystal from the Santa Rosalia Mine, Boleo, Mexico
Etched Purple
Fluorite Cubes from the Spar Mountain Mine, Cave in Rock, Illinois
Cuprite with
Malachite Coating from the Onganja Mine, Seeis, Namibia
Quartz with
Rutile Inclusions from Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Skull-Shaped
Marcasite from Montreal, Wisconsin
Manganese Oxide
Dendritic Crystal Growths in Matrix from Solnhofen, Bayern, Germany
Complex
Pyrite Crystal in Calcite from Franklin, New Jersey
Zincite Crystals and Cut Gems from Franklin, New Jersey
Molybdenite Crystal in Matrix from Chelan, Washington
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Wulfenite Exhibit Case
Calcite Exhibit Case
Corundum Exhibit Case
Beryl Exhibit Case
Fluorite Exhibit Case
Zeolite Minerals Exhibit Case
Misc Exhibit Case. I am not sure what the theme for this case is.
Gypsum Exhibit Case
Crystal Twins and Other Interesting Crystal Habits
Tourmaline Exhibit Case
Topaz Exhibit Case
Minerals from Bisbee, Arizona
The Smithsonian gem and mineral collection contains an amazing array of Gold, Silver, and rare metal compounds. Many of the Gold and Silver specimens are among the finest for their localities, and there are also many examples from unusual localities. While not all the minerals show here are composed of precious metals, they are still rare and unusual examples of metallic compounds, especially sulfosalts.
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Jordanite, Lengenbach Quarry, Binntal, Switzerland
Jamesonite with
Calcite, Cavnic, Maramures, Romania
Bournonite, Quiruvilca, Peru
Dyscrasite with
Stibarsen from Pribram, Czech Republic
Hessite with Quartz, Botes Transylvania, Romania
Enargite with Pyrite, Butte, Montana
Polybasite from the Las Chispas Mine, Arizpe, Sonoroa, Mexico
Exhibit Case of
Silver and
Copper
Thick
Silver Wire with
Calcite, Batopilas, Chihuahua, Mexico
Silver "S" Wire from Dreikonigsstein, Lahr, Baden-Wurttenberg, Germany
Exhibit Case of
Gold
Gold Nugget, Whitehall Mine, Spotsylvania Co., Virginia
Large
Gold Nugget (898.4 grams), Telegraph Mine, California
Hoppered
Gold Crystal, Amador Co., California
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The Famous Blue Hope
Diamond
The Gachala
Emerald from Colombia, at 828 ct.
This is one of the largest Emeralds in the World
Giant Gem
Topaz Crystal of 111 Lbs
Cut
Rhodochrosite Gemstones from Hotazel, South Africa
Large
Emerald Crystals from the Hiddenite Mine, Stony Point, North Carolina
Etched
Heliodor Crystal from Volodark, Zhitomir, Ukraine
Gem
Topaz from Brazil, Rough and Faceted
Labradorite Showing Amazing Color Sheen from Nain, Nefoundland, Canada
Incredible
Iris Agate from Oregon
Cat's Eye
Elbaite Tourmaline from Minas Gerais, Brazil
Elbaite Tourmaline "Candelabra" with
Albite and
Quartz
From the Tourmaline Queen Mine, San Diego Co., California
Large Blue
Topaz Crystal from Mursinka, Ekaterinburg, Urals, Russia
This past summer, I made a trip to Washington DC and visited the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. This museum features one of the most impressive gem and mineral collections in the world, with over 3,500 world-class specimens on exhibit. In addition to the famous gems on display, such as the Hope Diamond and Gachala Emerald, it has some of the best of species for many minerals on display.
The displays are very impressive, with good lighting and well-planned organization. The museum also has all specimens very clearly labeled, which both novices and experts alike appreciate. Owned by the United States government, all of the Smithsonian museums are free of charge. The only problem with this is that in all my experiences visiting the museum, it is always extremely busy with enough people visiting the gem and mineral gallery to make it feel tight and uncomfortable. It took me about five minutes just to get in line to see the Hope Diamond! Despite the almost constant crowds, I was able to get some excellent pictures of both display cases and individual minerals and gems in the collection.
If you are in Washington DC, this is a key museum that should not be missed. However, be aware that it will likely be busy, especially on weekends and during the summer. Although I have been to this museum several times before, and have even written a short article on my visit, I will now present a more detailed post with many more photos. The postings for Smithsonian Museum exhibit will include the following:
Stay tuned and come back for updates.
