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Erionite is a naturally occurring fibrous mineral that belongs to a group of minerals called zeolites. It usually is found in volcanic ash that has been altered by weathering and ground water. Erionite forms brittle, wool-like fibrous masses in the hollows of rock formations and has an internal molecular structure similar to chabazite.
Native copper is an uncombined form of copper that occurs as a natural mineral. Copper is one of the few metallic elements to occur in native form, although it most commonly occurs in oxidized states and mixed with other elements. Native copper was an important ore of copper in historic times and was used by pre-historic peoples.
The museum opened a new gallery in January 2003 to feature petrified wood. [9] Rudy W. Tschernich was named curator in June 2003, replacing Sharleen Harvey. [ 10 ] In 2004 the Cascadia Meteorite Laboratory at Portland State University loaned the museum 52 meteorites in an exhibit funded by NASA .
An amethyst geode that formed when large crystals grew in open spaces inside the rock. The largest amethyst geode found as of 2007 was the Empress of Uruguay, found in Artigas, Uruguay in 2007. It stands at a height of 3.27 meters, lies open along its length, and weighs 2.5 tons. Amethyst is also found and mined in South Korea. [19]
[5] The regional exhibits include dozens of stone and mineral specimens from North Carolina, and a long wall of local Henderson Augen Gneiss. A six-foot-tall purple amethyst geode from Brazil is the largest geode on display. [6] Another exhibit features more than two dozen pairs of colorful quartz and calcite geodes from Mexico.
Prasiolite (also known as green quartz, green amethyst or vermarine) is a green variety of quartz. Since 1950, almost all natural prasiolite has come from a small Brazilian mine, [citation needed] but it has also been mined in the Lower Silesia region of Poland. Naturally occurring prasiolite has also been found in the Thunder Bay area of ...
Tyuyamunite (pronounced tuh-YOO-ya-moon-ite) is a very rare uranium mineral with formula Ca(UO 2) 2 V 2 O 8 ·(5–8)H 2 O. It is a member of the carnotite group. It is a bright, canary-yellow color because of its high uranium content. Also, because of tyuyamunite's high uranium content, it is radioactive. [6]
The new exhibits explore a range of topics, including the diversification of mineral species over the course of Earth's history, plate tectonics, and the stories of specific gems. [7] They have adopted newer philosophies in exhibit design, including a focus on storytelling, interactivity, and connecting ideas across disciplines. [7]