Gems and Minerals Hall

A 5-foot-tall geode filled with shimmering purple crystals

Crack open a giant geode and discover the extraordinary beauty that can be hidden inside an ordinary looking rock! Look closely — amongst all of the mesmerizing purple are specs of white calcite.

Did you know? The grape jelly amethyst geode was the very first exhibit installed at the Museum — the gallery was quite literally built around it

The Eyes of Africa and its backstory that includes diapers and a white Mercedes

Unearthed 10 years ago by a miner in Namibia, the enormous and intensely beautiful specimen had an interesting beginning. When the miner realized his discovery was incredibly rare, rather than sell it right away, he toted it around in the trunk of his car. As word spread, two collectors spent days searching for this infamous mineral-toting Mercedes. Once they tracked down the miner, the car, and the mineral, they made a deal to acquire the piece, shipping it back to the U.S. protected by 400 diapers!

Compare different minerals

Halite and calcite may look exactly the same, but taste completely different. Pyrite and gold are easy to confuse, but when you look closely pyrite has cubes all over it! Look closely to find the unique differences in minerals that seem to masquerade as something else.

Understand the origin of minerals

Minerals are like a recipe that comprises different elements found right here on Earth. Each mineral isn't just one element — it's a special recipe of elements that help form colors, shapes, and hardnesses.