Search

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
Hero image
Department of Mineral Sciences

Collections Overview

The research collections of the Department of Mineral Sciences originated with specimens donated by James Smithson, a chemist and mineralogist famous for bequeathing the money used to establish the Smithsonian Institution. While Smithson's collection was lost in a fire in 1865, the modern geological collections, begun in 1870, now include more than 600,000 specimens, most of which are available for study by qualified scientific investigators.

National Gem & Mineral Collection

A vivid green crystalline mass of pyromorphite
Pyromorphite (NMNH 173449)

The Smithsonian Institution mineral and gem collection consists of approximately 350,000 mineral specimens and 10,000 gems, making it one of the largest of its kind in the world. The collection is used for scientific research, education programs, and public exhibitions. Every year hundreds of specimens are loaned to scientists around the world for research projects in geology, materials science, health, chemistry, physics, and other disciplines.

The collection adds specimens in many ways: gifts, purchases using private endowments established for that purpose, field collection, and rarely by exchange. In particular, the gem collection has been built almost entirely with gifts from individuals. Continuing acquisitions of minerals and gems enhance the public’s awareness and understanding of the Earth’s basic building blocks, and expand a scientific research collection that will be used in perpetuity.

In addition to the world-famous Hope Diamond, hundreds of other spectacular specimens form this collection can be seen at the Smithsonian GeoGallery.

Gabriela Farfan: Coralyn W. Whitney Curator of Gems and Minerals
Gabriela Farfan

Coralyn W. Whitney Curator of Gems and Minerals

Mineral Sciences

Ioan Lascu: Research Geologist | Curator of Minerals and Gems
Ioan Lascu

Research Geologist

Mineral Sciences

A man in a blue shirt smiles in front of a white backdrop
Russell Feather

Collection Manager (Gems)

Mineral Sciences

Staff_Avatar_MinSci
Paul Pohwat

Collection Manager (Minerals)

Mineral Sciences

Biomineralogy and other interdisciplinary mineralogy fields have been growing in recent decades. In order to accommodate sample needs for biominerals and interdisciplinary research, the Biomineralogy Initiative has put together these links to other NMNH department websites, as well as direct links to their sample request forms and websites:

National Meteorite Collection

A carbonaceous chondrite on a wooden surface
Orgueil meteorite (USNM 388)

Meteorites provide invaluable clues to the origin and evolution of our Solar System, and meteorite scientists are almost completely dependent on a small number of major meteorite collections for research materials. The National Meteorite Collection is one the largest and most complete museum-based collections in the world.

The modern meteorite collection includes more than 45,000 specimens of more than 16,850 distinct meteorites, including almost 10,000 polished thin sections. While the collection contains examples of every type of meteorite, it is particularly strong in iron meteorites and includes 9 of the 50+ known Martian meteorites.

Tim McCoy: Curator of Meteorites
Tim McCoy

Curator-in-Charge (Meteorites)

Mineral Sciences

Staff_Avatar_MinSci
Julie Hoskin

Collection Manager (Meteorites)

Mineral Sciences

Guidance for suspected meteorites

If you believe you have a suspected meteorite, you may send photos to meteorites@si.edu.

Please attach clearly focused images of your specimen in proper lighting. It is helpful if you include close-up images focused on the texture (grains, crystals, potential fusion crust, exposed interior, etc.). 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 (a byproduct/waste material produced by the smelting of metallic ore).

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.

National Rock & Ore Collections

A banded tonalitic gneiss
Acasta Gneiss (NMNH 116542-1)

The National Rock and Ore Collections are divided into subcollections, and the specimens within each are indexed and retrievable by lithology, locality, museum catalog number, metal/commodity, or volcano name when appropriate, and many are retrievable by original field number and donor name. Many are mentioned specifically in publications, have thin sections available, and/or include a chemical analysis in the database. Because the collection is always expanding, the subcollection number estimates are subject to change.

Elizabeth Cottrell: Chair, Department of Mineral Sciences; Research Geologist; Curator, National Rock Collection
Elizabeth Cottrell

Chair, Research Geologist, Curator-in-Charge (Rocks and Ores)

Mineral Sciences

Woman in red shirt stands in front of shelves full of rocks
Leslie Hale

Collection Manager (Rocks & Ores)

Mineral Sciences

Most of the petrology collection is organized into small suites of rocks from the same locality, such as a particular quadrangle or geologic setting. They may be petrogenetically related, and are usually described in at least one reference, often a publication of the United States Geological Survey.

Includes specimens from 291 different volcanoes or volcanic fields. Many, but not all, are from dated eruptions. Includes a large suite (1400 specimens) from the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory of eruptive material from Kilauea and Mauna Loa volcanoes organized by eruption year, as well as 369 drill cores from the Kilauea Iki and Makaopuhi lava lakes. 6445 specimens, not including drill cores.

A systematic collection of metallic ores and mineral commodities. Includes metal-bearing minerals and massive ore-bearing material (primarily from major U.S. mines opened prior to 1930), as well as some non-metallic minerals and commodities such as pigments, abrasives, salts, clays, and hydrocarbons. Ore specimens that are mineralogically outstanding have been relocated to the National Gem and Mineral Collections. 19,221 specimens.

Dredged and cored specimens from mid-ocean ridges, seamounts, and fracture zones. Areas best represented include the Galápagos Spreading Center, Juan de Fuca Ridge, and the North Atlantic Ocean. Includes large collections of basaltic glass and manganese nodules. The Volcanic Glass Database contains electron microprobe analysis of ocean floor glasses. 9904 specimens, and an additional 840 manganese nodule specimens.

Ultramafic mantle xenoliths and related rocks. Best represented areas include the Kimberley mines of the Republic of South Africa; the Eifel Volcanic Field in Germany; the San Carlos Volcanic Field in Arizona; Salt Lake Crater, Hualalai, and Mauna Kea volcanoes in Hawaii; the Central Sierra Nevada Batholith in California; and the Harrat al Birk, Harrat al Kishb, Harrat al Uwayrid, Harrat Harairah, and Harrat Ithnayn Volcanic Fields in Saudi Arabia. 2465 specimens.

Rocks and ores from layered igneous complexes, ultramafic xenoliths, and ophiolites assembled, documented, and interpreted in publications by Everett Dale Jackson. Highlights include a comprehensive collection of Hawaiian xenoliths and a suite of rocks from the Stillwater Complex, Montana. 5878 specimens.

Historic collection assembled between 1896 and 1924 by the United States Geological Survey and classified according to the CIPW system of classification and nomenclature developed by Whitman Cross, J.P. Iddings, L.V. Pirsson, and H.S. Washington. Each specimen has a thin section with an accompanying detailed petrographic description and most are chemically analyzed and described in the geologic literature. 2193 specimens. An additional 1581 specimens from the personal collection of H. S. Washington, as well as 1302 specimens from the J. P. Iddings collection are also available.

A "library" of exotic as well as typical examples of most of the common igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rock types represented in the National Collection. Few of these samples have been described or chemically analyzed, and field names have been applied. 6352 specimens.

Rocks from island arcs and other islands around the world, including the Azores, Marianas, Easter Island, Guam, Christmas Island, and Ascension Island, with additional island rocks located in the Volcanological Reference Collection. 991 specimens.

Rocks utilized for building and ornamentation, composed primarily of material received from the Centennial Exposition at Philadelphia in 1876 and from the Tenth Census at the close of an investigation into the quarrying industries of the U.S. in 1880. Most specimens are from domestic quarries, with some foreign varieties represented, if imported into the U.S. between 1880 and 1920. A substantial portion of the original collection was transferred to the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) in the late 1940s for weathering tests. In 1989, the NBS changed its name to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) . 714 specimens remain.

Rock and sand specimens that have been struck by lightning, and pseudofulgurites (melted by burning coal seams, downed powerlines, and other mechanisms) from various localities. 69 specimens.

Shocked rocks from impact structures around the world, including: Aouelloul, Bosumtwi, Charlevoix, Dalgaranga, Decaturville, Gosses Bluff, Henbury, Lappajarvi, Lonar, Manicougan, Manson, Meteor (Barringer), New Quebec, Nicholson, Odessa, Ries, Rochechouart (Chassenon), Siljan, Sudbury, Tenoumer, Vredefort, Wabar, and Wells Creek. Also available are shocked rocks from two man-made craters at the Nevada Test Site, USA - Sedan and Danny Boy. Often the corresponding meteoritic material is also represented in the National Meteorite Collection. 894 specimens.

Besides cores from Hawaiian lava lakes in the HVO collection, the Uvalde Core collection is the largest: 2000 feet of basalt core from the Uvalde, Texas area (MOHO test core) transferred from the National Science Foundation . Organized by depth interval. 260 specimens.

A number of large collections have yet to be inventoried but are nevertheless available for legitimate research requests prior to the completion of accession work. These large collections include:

  • B. C. Hearn Jr. Collection of kimberlites and related rocks
  • E. Cameron Collection of ores from South Africa
  • Francis "Joe" Boyd Jr. Collection of ultramafic xenoliths

The National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) complies with all U.S. export and sanctions laws, as well as fish, wildlife and other regulations applicable to the importation and exportation of specimens and research materials. Please consider the country of origin and nature of any specimen, sample, object or material shipped to NMNH, and if applicable, ensure that it is properly licensed and otherwise compliant with U.S. law prior to shipment.