The American Museum of Natural History houses many wonderful exhibits one in which is the Mignone Hall of Minerals and Gems. This massive exhibit accounts for around 5,000 specimens. The space it occupies is 11,000 square feet but that accounts for meteorites displayed in the hall which are not part of the mineral and gems collection, so the square footage of the rest is a bit lower.

The collection has evolved over the years with many additions and the occasional loss of specimens when burglars find their way in as was the case with the Star of India (a special piece in the collection). It was quickly found but other stolen that night have never been found. The collection first opened in 1869 at the American Museum of Natural History. Originally it was displayed at the Old Arsenal Building in Manhattan where there were around 7,000 specimens.

The Allison and Roberto Halls of Gems and Minerals is in the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan on the 1st floor of the museum. Upon entering the dark room, you are greeted by a huge amethyst geode measuring at 12 feet tall. Once you get past this very large focal point, you are then surrounded with many glass cases filled with minerals categorized by different mineral groups, rock specimens that have mineral inclusions, and large mineral specimens, such as the 12 ft tall amethyst and stibnite. One glass case in specific shows different types of quartz, including grape agate from Indonesia, while another includes minerals formed from magma, including quartz, topaz, and beryl. Off what could be considered the “main gallery” is a room that contains precious stones along with examples of raw gems and their cut & finished counterparts.   

    The Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals is designed to tell its visitors how mineral species formed, how they are classified and studied, and how they are used as personal objects, tools, and even technology. In total, the galleries show more than 5000 specimens from around 98 countries. The Hall closed in 2017 to undergo a redesign worth around $32 million and reopened to the public recently last June.

    According to a June 2020 to 2019 financial statement from the museum, most funding comes from government grants, revenue, as well as from donor donations.

Sources

“Title of Section.” Title of Website, Publisher or Sponsoring Organization, Date of publication or last modified date, URL. Accessed Date Month (abbreviated) Year.

“Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals Will Open Fall 2020.” American Museum of Natural History, https://www.amnh.org/about/press-center/mignone-gems-minerals-fall-2020. Accessed 04 Oct. 2021.

“Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals.” American Museum of Natural History, https://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/permanent/gems-minerals. Accessed 01 Oct. 2021.

“American Museum of Natural History.” Crunchbase, https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/american-museum-of-natural-history. Accessed 04 Oct. 2021.

Castillo, Augusto. “Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals.” GIA, https://www.gia.edu/gems-gemology/summer-2021-gemnews-mignone-halls-of-gems-and-minerals. Accessed 01 Oct. 2021.

“Consolidated Financial Statements Together with Report of Independent Auditors: The American Museum of Natural History.” American Museum of Natural History, https://www.amnh.org/content/download/325415/5011081/file/Consolidated%20Financial%20Statements%20for%20Fiscal%20Years%20Ended%20June%2030,%202020%20and%202019.pdf. Accessed 04 Oct. 2021.

Dukes, Tanya. “Some Famous Gems Get a New Setting.” The New York Times, 23 Oct. 2021, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/23/fashion/jewelry-gems-american-museum-of-natural-history.html. Accessed 01 Oct. 2021.

“George Frederick Kunz.” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Frederick_Kunz. Accessed 01 Oct 2021.

Hennings, Juli and Harry Lynch. “The Star of India.” EarthDate, Bureau of Economic Geology, https://www.earthdate.org/node/125. Accessed 01 Oct 2021.

Jordan, Sarah. “Famous Gemstones: The Star of India Sapphire.” The Gemmological Association of Great Britain, https://gem-a.com/gem-hub/gem-knowledge/famous-gemstones-star-india-sapphire. Accessed 01 Oct 2021.

“The Famous New York Subway Garnet.” Diamondoodles, January 27,  https://www.diamondoodles.com/blog/the-famous-new-york-subway-garnet. Accessed 01 Oct 2021.