Newsletter of the Department of Mineral Sciences
Volume 2, Number 3
In this Issue
 Postite, a new mineral
species
 New Exhibit:
The Evolving Universe
 Spotlight on Fieldwork:
Spelunking with Santelli
 New Demantoid Gem
| Rocks ∙ Meteorites ∙ Gems ∙ Volcanoes ∙ Minerals |
Winter 2011
From the Chair
As we reach the end of another year, we
look back on a time of change and growth for
the Deptartment of Mineral Sciences. With
the departure of old and the arrival of new
colleagues, the Department has been substantially reshaped. Through it all, we remain
committed to our efforts in research, collections and outreach across the spectrum of
petrology, mineralogy, meteorites and volcanology. It has been a particularly exciting
year for us in exhibits. In the latter half of
2011, the ―Against All Odds: Rescue at the
Chilean Mine‖ and ―More than Meets the
Eye‖ exhibits were joined by ―The Evolving
Universe‖, an exhibit that Glenn MacPherson from our department and colleagues from
the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
produced. Likewise, collections continued to
grow, with the petrology, mineral, gem and
meteorite collections all adding spectacular
new samples and surviving the earthquake
with, thankfully, less damage than could have
happened!
Our research efforts have been particularly
robust this year. This is in no small part due
to the growth of an exciting cadre of postdoctoral fellows who are breathing new life and
vitality into our Department. Infused into all
areas of the Department and funded by a
combination of Smithsonian, NASA grants,
NMNH funds and the Buck Fellowship, we
are approaching our historical highs in terms
of postdoctoral fellows. We are also fortunate to now have two grant-funded Trust scientists working in our Department, fulfilling
both our research and collections missions.
Through their efforts, we‘ve been able to undertake research from the deep interior of
Earth to the surface of Mercury and to the
outer reaches of the asteroid belt. Later on in
this newsletter, you‘ll read about some of our
newest fellows. I look forward to welcoming
many more – and having the admirable problem of worrying about where they will all fit
– during the remainder of my time as Chair.
-Tim McCoy
Postite, a new mineral.
The new mineral species, postite, was
recently named in honor of our very own
Jeff Post. Postite, is a rare vanadiumbearing mineral with the chemical formula, Mg(H2O)6Al2(OH)2(H2O)8
(V10O28)•13H2O. It was first discovered
on sandstone blocks from the Vanadium
Queen and the Blue Cap mines in San
Juan County, Utah. Postite occurs as
very thin needle-like golden-yellow,
crystals up to 1 mm long and 50 µm in
diameter. Crystals often occur in parallel
bundles and grow in ―jackstraw‖ masses.
Postite forms from the oxidation of the vanadium minerals montroseite and corvusite in a
moist environment. Photo by Joe Marty.
Page 2
Volume 2, Number 3
Winter 2011
Education & Outreach
Cara Santelli visits Cajun Country
In mid-November, Dr. Cara Santelli (Research Geologist, Mineral Sciences), Dr. Hans-Dieter
DMS participates
in Earth Science
Academy
For the second
straight year, members of the Dept. of
Mineral Sciences
partnered with the
Smithsonian’s
National Science
Resources Center in
support of their
Science Education
Academy for
Teachers program
held on July 24-29,
2011.
Chair of Mineral Sciences
Tim McCoy
Newsletter Editor
Michael Wise
Dept. of Mineral Sciences
MRC 119
[email protected]
Sues (Curator of Vertebrae Paleontology), Robert Costello (National Outreach Program Manager), and Wally Mertes (Program Coordinator for The Smithsonian Associates) travelled to Lafayette, Louisiana to conduct a workshop for middle school teachers in the Lafayette Parish
School System (LPSS) on ‗Origins of Life‘ and ‗Organisms and Energy.‘ Dr. Scott Wing
(Curator of Fossil Plants) and Dr. John
Burns (Curator of Lepidoptera, retired)
were video-conferenced into the workshop. In addition to discussing her research endeavors at NMNH, Cara gave
three different classroom presentations
about the earliest life forms, the basics
of microbiology, and applied microbiology. Hands-on exercises included a soil
microbiology lab and a strawberry
DNA extraction lab. Hans presented on
Earth‘s geological history, the fossil
record, and science, religion, and evolution. The teachers were given a variety
of fossilized teeth from the collection to
Cara Santelli demonstrating pipetting techniques to
determine the functional morphology
LPSS teachers. Photo by Ashlyn Roger.
and diet of the animals.
Cara Santelli (far right) discusses the strategies and
techniques used for culturing soil microbes with
several LPSS teachers during hands-on laboratory
exercises. Photo by Ashlyn Roger.
The Lafayette Parish School System is a
recipient of a ―Magnet Schools Assistance
Program‖ grant from the U.S. Department
of Education to create a competitive
―Biomedical Academy‖ in an existing
middle school. The goal of the program
is to support the development and implementation of magnet schools and capacity
development through teacher training and
other activities that will enable the continued operation of the magnet schools at a
high performance level after funding ends.
As part of the Biomedical Academy magnet program, The Smithsonian Associates,
in partnership with other Smithsonian
units, is designing and implementing six,
three-day workshops for LPSS teachers
over three years. Each workshop includes
renowned scientists and educators affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution.
Rick Wunderman was quoted in a CNN report about a recent volcano eruption in the south-
ern Red Sea. It began as a submarine event and quickly built an island. The CNN report can be
viewed at http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/12/29/eruption-creates-new-island-in-red-sea/. GVP
staff also fielded press inquiries on the submarine eruption of the El Hierro volcano in the Canary Islands which occurred in early November. If you haven‘t seen this eruption, check out the
youtube video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gn7fWSAZhLY.
Page 3
Volume 2, Number 3
Winter 2011
DMS Post Docs
 Andrew Beck received his BA in Philosophy and a minor
in Geology from Albion College in 2004. After a short stint
as a technician in the Geology Department at Albion, Andrew
entered the doctoral program at the University of Tennessee
under the advisement of Dr. Hap McSween. His dissertation
focused on HED meteorites, a large group of achondrites
thought to originate from the largest differentiated body in the
asteroid belt, asteroid 4Vesta. Andrew finished his dissertation in August of this year and at about the same time he accepted a postdoctoral fellowship working with Tim McCoy at
the Smithsonian. Andrew and Tim work closely with the
Dawn mission, a NASA spacecraft which began orbiting asteroid 4Vesta earlier this year. They assist the team both in
data interpretations and by utilizing the Smithsonian‘s large
collection of HED meteorites as laboratory analogs.
Dominique Chaput has begun a 2-year post-doc with Cara
Santelli. After obtaining her BSc in Biochemistry from Mount
Allison University, Dom moved to England to pursue a MSc in
Environmental Change and a PhD in Microbial Ecology at the
University of Oxford. Her doctoral work examined the structure
and function of microbial communities living on exposed granite
bedrock in Arctic Norway. While at the Smithsonian, she will be
characterizing the microbial communities found in coal mine
drainage treatment beds, with the aim of determining how community interactions modulate the efficiency of Mn(II) oxidation.
Brent Grocholski studies the properties of Earth materials experimentally
under extreme pressures and temperatures to simulate the conditions of
planetary interiors. Brent received his
B.S. in physics at the University of
Minnesota, completed his doctorate in
Earth and Planetary Sciences at UC
Berkeley, and has recently finished a
post-doctoral position at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Brent is
currently a Peter Buck fellow working
with Liz Cottrell and will be measuring
the effect of water on lower mantle
minerals to understand how the whole
mantle participates in the global water
cycle.
Page 4
Volume 2, Number 3
Winter 2011
Field Studies
 In late September, 2011, Cara
Santelli (Research Geologist & Curator) travelled deep into the Blue
Ridge Mountains of western North
Carolina and eastern Tennessee to
study the geomicrobiology of caves.
This research is in collaboration with
Dr. Sarah Carmichael (a geology
professor also a Research Collaborator in the Department of Mineral Sciences) and Dr. Suzanna Brauer
(professor of microbiology) at Appalachian State University where Cara
is now an adjunct Research Faculty
member.
Cara Santelli sampling Mn-oxide (black) encrusted
cave coral. Photo by Sarah Carmichael.
The overarching goal of this research is to
assess anthropogenic impacts on microbial communities and
biomineralization processes
in caves.
Cara‘s research group is
particularly
interested in
the role that
bacteria and
Mn oxide dendrites were commonly observed in
fungi play in
the formation Daniel Boone Cave. Photo by Sarah Carmichael.
of Mn oxide
minerals in these caves – contamination
can alter natural microbial communities
and thus impact the biogeochemical
cycling of Mn in these environments.
The team of scientists and numerous
students went spelunking in eastern
Tennessee and sampled a pristine, uncontaminated cave (e.g., Daniel Boone
Cavern where the photos are taken) as
well as cave greatly impacted by agricultural runoff and sewage release.
Samples for a variety of microbiological, molecular biological, geochemical,
and mineralogical analyses were collected. Stay tuned for results!
Beautiful "drapery' speleothems were abundant in the
pristine Daniel Boone Cave. Photo by Sarah Carmichael.
Page 5
Volume 2, Number 3
Winter 2011
Exhibits — “The Evolving Universe”
A partial view of the new temporary exhibit, The Evolving Universe, at the National Museum
of Natural History. Photo by Michael Wise.
 One of the museum‘s newest temporary exhibit, The Evolving Universe, opened to the
public on October 21, 2011. The exhibit, located on the second floor of the museum behind
the Gem Store, is highlighted by specimens from the Museum‘s meteorite collection and fullcolor photographs that capture the beauty of the cosmos. Through these images, sent back
from high-powered terrestrial and orbiting telescopes, visitors will journey through time and
space to learn how Smithsonian researchers study the evolution of the universe. The exhibit is
a collaborative project of the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) and the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory at Harvard University (SAO). With guidance by NMNH
geologist Glenn Macpherson and SAO physicists Jonathan McDowell and Scott Kenyon, this
exhibit explores
how the stars, galaxies and universe
undergo the same
stages as life on
Earth: from birth,
to maturity and,
eventually, to
death. Throughout
the exhibit‘s run
(until July 7, 2013),
staff will participate in ―Meet the
Scientist‖ programs, coordinated
through the Office
of Education and
The Allende meteorite in the temporary Evolving Universe exhibit.
Outreach.
Photo by Michael Wise.
Page 6
Volume 2, Number 3
Winter 2011
Exhibits — “The Evolving Universe” (cont.)
The Stardust case which is normally located near the entrance
of the Meteorite Gallery of the
Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of
Geology, Gems and Minerals, is
temporarily being displayed in
the new Evolving Universe exhibit. The stardust actually consist of microscopic grains of
diamonds that were extracted
from the Allende meteorite,
which fell to earth near Chihuahua, Mexico in 1969. The Allende meteorite came from the
Asteroid belt between Mars and
Jupiter, some17.5-27.5 lightminutes away from Earth. The
interstellar diamonds were
formed during an explosion in a
dying star and were later mixed
into the cloud that gave birth to
our Solar System 4.6 billion
years ago.
Upper photo: Stardust display in
the Evolving Universe exhibit.
Lower photo: Close-up of the
stardust case which houses a
photomicrograph of diamond
(carbon atoms), a small piece of
the Allende meteorite and a vial
of interstellar diamonds. Photos
by Michael Wise.
Page 7
Volume 2, Number 3
Winter 2011
Awards & Grants
At the Mineralogical Society of the District
of Columbia‘s annual Christmas party held on
December 7th, Museum Specialist Cathleen
Brown accepted a $1000.00 check donated
by the club to the Department of Mineralogy. The money will be used by the Division
of Petrology, Rock and Ore collection to fund
several projects throughout the year.
Paul Pohwat was honored for 30 years of
service to the Smithsonian at the 2011 Career
Service Awards Ceremony held in Baird
Auditorium on December 13, 2011.
Congratulations to Nicole Lunning whose
stellar work on the Department‘s meteorite
collection earned her one of the 2011 NMNH
Nicole Lunning receives her NMNH Peer Recognition Award from Tracy Cones and Museum
Director Cristián Samper. Photo by Michael Wise.
Page 8
Volume 2, Number 3
Winter 2011
Selected Publications
 During the last quarter, Science Direct has ranked a paper by Sorena Sorensen and Liz
Catlos as #16 on their ―hottest paper list‖ for the Journal of Structural Geology. The paper
heavily relies on Cathodoluminescence (CL) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) data
of granites. It‘s a new approach to evaluating subtle effects of deformation versus wholesale
mylonitization. Images were collected by Liz and her students here in DMS with Sorena‘s
guidance and assistance in interpreting the microstructures. The citation for the paper is Catlos, E.J., Baker, C.B., Sorensen, S.S., Jacob, L., and Cemen, I. (2011) Linking microcracks and
mineral zoning of detachment exhumed granites to their tectonomagmatic history: evidence
from the Salihli and Turgutlu plutons in Western Turkey (Menderes Massif). Journal of Structural Geology 33, 951-969.
Transmitted light (left) and cathodoluminescence (right) images of a granite sample
from Salihli, Turkey.
DMS Curator Glenn MacPherson coorganized (with Prof. Mark Thiemens of UC
San Diego) a Special Feature in the Nov. 29
issue of the Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences, on Cosmochemistry
including the cover photo. The nine papers
(including 2 by
MacPherson and
one by fellow
DMS‘ers Tim
McCoy and Cari
Corrigan) illustrate
the capabilities of
modern laboratory
and spacecraft instrumentation to
reveal the processes
by which our Solar
system first formed
and later evolved.
Andrews, B. J. & Manga, M. (2011) Effects
of topography on pyroclastic density current
runout and formation of coignimbrites. Geology, 39(12): 1099-1102.
Beck, A. W., Mittlefehldt, D. W., McSween,
H. Y., Rumble D., Lee. C. T. & Bodnar, R. J.
(2011) MIL 03443, a dunite from asteroid 4
Vesta: Evidence for its classification and
cumulate origin. Meteoritics and Planetary
Science 46(8):1133-1151.
Blewett, D. T., Chabot, N. L., Denevi, B. W.,
Ernst, C. M., Head, J. W., Izenberg, N. R.,
Murchie, S. L., Solomon, S. C., Nittler, L. R.,
McCoy, T. J., Xiao, Z., Baker, D. M. H.,
Fassett, C. I., Braden, S. E., Oberst, J., Scholten, F., Preusker, F. & Hurwitz, D. M. (2011)
Hollows on Mercury: MESSENGER Evidence for Geologically Recent VolatileRelated Activity. Science, 333(6051): 18561859.
Page 9
Volume 2, Number 3
Winter 2011
Selected Publications (cont.)
Burgos, W. D., Tan, H., Santelli, C. M. &
Hansel, Colleen M. (2010) Importance of
fungi in biological Mn(II) oxidation in limestone treatment beds. In: Barnhisel, R. I.,
Proceedings of the National Meeting of the
American Society of Mining and Reclamation, Pittsburgh, PA.. Lexington, KY:
ASMR, pp.88-88.
Corrigan, C. (2011) Antarctica: the Best
Place on Earth to Collect Meteorites. Elements, 7(5): 296
Harlow, G. E., Sisson, V. B. & Sorensen, S.
S. (2011) Jadeitite from Guatemala: new observations and distinctions among multiple
occurrences. Geologica Acta, 9(3-4): 363
Keil, K., McCoy, T. J., Wilson, L., Barrat, JA, Rumble, D., Meier, M. M. M., Wieler, R.
& Huss, G. R. 2011. A composite Fe,Ni-FeS
and enstatite-forsterite-diopside-glass vitrophyre clast in the Larkman Nunatak 04316
aubrite: Origin by pyroclastic volcanism.
Meteoritics & Planetary Science, 46(11):
1719-1741.
MacPherson, G. J. & Boss, A. (2011) Cosmochemical evidence for astrophysical processes during the formation of our solar system. Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences, 108(48): 19152-19158.
MacPherson, G. J. & Thiemens, M. H.
(2011) Cosmochemistry: Understanding the
Solar System through analysis of extraterrestrial materials. Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences, 108(48): 19130-19134.
McCoy, T. J., Corrigan, C. M. & Herd, C.
D. K. (2011) Combining meteorites and missions to explore Mars. Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences, 108(48):
19159-19164.
McCoy, T. J., Walker, R. J., Goldstein, J. I.,
Yang, J., McDonough, W. F., Rumble, D.,
Chabot, N. L., Ash, R. D., Corrigan, C. M.,
Michael, J. R. & Kotula, P. G. (2011) Group
IVA Irons: New Constraints on the Crystallization and Cooling History of an Asteroidal
Core with a Complex History. Geochimica et
Cosmochimica Acta, 75(22): 6821-6843.
Nittler, L. R., Starr, R. D., Weider, S. Z.,
McCoy, T. J., Boynton, W. V., Ebel, D. S.,
Ernst, C. M., Evans, L. G., Goldsten, J. O.,
Hamara, D. K., Lawrence, D. J., McNutt, R.
L., Schlemm, C. E., Solomon, S. C. & Sprague, A. L. (2011) The Major-Element Composition of Mercury‘s Surface from MESSENGER X-ray Spectrometry. Science, 333
(6051): 1847-1850.
Peplowski, P. N., Evans, L. G., Hauck, S. A.,
McCoy, T. J., Boynton, W. V., Gillis-Davis,
J. J., Ebel, D. S., Goldsten, J. O., Hamara, D.
K., Lawrence, D. J., McNutt, R. L., Nittler, L.
R., Solomon, S. C., Rhodes, E. A., Sprague,
A. L., Starr, R. D. & Stockstill-Cahill, K. R.
(2011) Radioactive Elements on Mercury‘s
Surface from MESSENGER: Implications for
the Planet‘s Formation and Evolution. Science, 333(6051): 1850-1852.
Pohwat, P. (2011) Connoisseur‘s Choice:
Alabandite, Uchucchacua mine, Oyon Province, Lima Department, Peru. Rocks & Minerals, 86(6): 530-534.
Swanson, D, Fiske, R., Rose, T., Houghton,
B. & Mastin, L. (2011) Kilauea—an explosive volcano in Hawai‘i. U.S. Geological
Survey Fact Sheet 2011-3064, 4 p. [http://
pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2011/3064/].
Santelli, C. M., Webb, S.W., Dohnalkova, A.
& Hansel, C. M. (2011) Diversity of Mn oxides produced by Mn(II)-oxidizing fungi.
Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 75: 2762
-2776.
Wall, A. J., Mathur, R., Post, J. E. &
Heaney, P. J. (2011) Cu isotope fractionation during bornite dissolution: An in situ Xray diffraction analysis. Ore Geology Reviews, 42(1): 62-70.
Wise, M. A. & Brown, C. D. (2011) Chemical composition of coexisting columbitegroup minerals and cassiterite from the Black
Mountain pegmatite, Maine. European Journal of Mineralogy, 23(5): 817-828.
Yang, J., Goldstein, J. I., Scott, E. R. D., Michael, J. R., Kotula, P. G., Pham, T. &
McCoy, T. J. (2011) Thermal and impact
histories of reheated group IVA, IVB, and
ungrouped iron meteorites and their parent
asteroids. Meteoritics & Planetary Science,
46(9): 1227-1252.
Page 10
Volume 2, Number 3
Winter 2011
Meetings & Abstracts
AGU Fall Meeting
(San Francisco, CA)
A different view of Kilauea‘s Past 2500 years
(Invited). Donald Swanson, Timothy R.
Rose, Adonara E. Mucek, Michael O. Garcia,
Richard S. Fiske & Larry G. Mastin
Controls on banded pumice and enclave formation during magma mixing. Benjamin J.
Andrews & Michael Manga
Diatreme-like eruption at Kilauea: the Kulanaokuaiki-3 Tephra (~900 CE). Richard S.
Fiske, Timothy R. Rose & Donald Swanson
Digital management and curation of the National Rock and Ore Collections at NMNH,
Smithsonian (Invited). Elizabeth Cottrell,
Benjamin Andrews, Sorena S. Sorensen &
Leslie J. Hale
Importance of oxygen fugacity for temperatures and melting regimes beneath ridges, arcs,
and hot spots (Invited). Katherine A. Kelley &
Elizabeth Cottrell
Intense groundwater circulation and heat flow
near a volcanic lake: Taal Volcano, Philippines. Meinhard Bayani B. Cardenas, Alfredo
Mahar A. Lagmay, Benjamin Andrews, Raymond S. Rodolfo, Hillel B. Cabria, Peter B.
Zamora & Mark R. Lapus
Physical and chemical processing of eclogite:
protolith and pre-subduction inheritance versus
subduction-related deformation and alteration
of oceanic crust. Fraukje M. Brouwer, Sorena
S. Sorensen & Pascal Philippot
Quantitative textural analysis of phenocryst
zoning patterns. Elizabeth Niespolo & Benjamin J. Andrews
Dynamics of pyroclastic density currents
studied using scaled laboratory experiments
(Invited). Michael Manga & Benjamin Andrews
Reaction rind formation in mélange in the
Catalina Schist, California. Sarah C. Penniston
-Dorland, Gray E. Bebout, Sorena S. Sorensen, Philip M. Piccoli & Richard J. Walker
Electrical and thermal conductivity of iron
and iron-silicon alloy at high pressures
(Invited). Christopher T. Seagle, Elizabeth
Cottrell, Yingwei Fei, Daniel R. Hummer &
Vitali Prakapenka
The magmatic evolution of the Kulanaokuaiki3 Tephra at Kilauea: parallels to Hawaiian lava
lakes. Stephen J. Lynton, Timothy R. Rose
& Richard S. Fiske
Geochemical mapping of 4Vesta begins.
Thomas H. Prettyman, William C. Feldman,
Olivier Forni, Steven P. Joy, David J. Lawrence, Lucille Le Corre, Joseph N. Mafi, Thomas B. McCord, Timothy J. McCoy, Harry
Y. McSween, David W. Mittlefehldt, Carol
Polanskey, Marc Rayman, Carol A. Raymond, Vishnu Reddy, Robert C. Reedy,
Christopher T. Russell, Timothy N. Titus &
Mike J. Toplis
High-MgO vitric ash in Upper Kulanaokuaiki
tephra, Kilauea volcano, Hawai`i: a preliminary description. Timothy R. Rose, Richard
S. Fiske & Donald Swanson
How were oxidation state heterogeneities
formed in the Martian interior? Mariek E.
Schmidt, Christian M. Schrader & Timothy
J. McCoy
Thermal equation of state of Fe(III) and Albearing magnesium silicate perovskite. Daniel
R. Hummer, Yingwei Fei & Christopher T.
Seagle
Tim McCoy was an invited speaker at the
50th anniversary celebration for the Center for
Meteorite Studies at Arizona State University
in Tempe. Tim‘s first talk was ―The future of
meteoritics: Where will we be in 2061?‖ Designed to look ahead 50 years, the talk centered
on a top 10 list of major innovations in the
field, ranging from the recovery of newlyfallen meteorites using satellite technology to
the landing of humans on an asteroid to subatomic particles becoming the new frontier of
meteorite studies, replacing the focus on elements and isotopes that have dominated the
past 50 years. He also presented a public lecture on the results from the Dawn mission to
asteroid 4Vesta, on which he is a participating
scientist.
Page 11
Volume 2, Number 3
Winter 2011
New Acquisitions
Smithsonian Gemstone Collectors Group Gift to NMNH
In 2010, the Smithsonian Institution‘s National
Museum of Natural History founded the Smithsonian Gemstone Collectors Group (SGC). This
informal advisory group will financially support
the acquisition of major gemstones, gem-quality
crystals and minerals for the National Gem and
Mineral Collection. Funds contributed by the
group will also be used to fund selected projects
of the Department of Mineral Sciences. The philanthropic support of the group‘s members will
insure the continued growth of the National Gem
and Mineral Collections.
On October 18, 2011, the SGC donated a spectacular demantoid gemstone to NMNH. DemanAndradite variety demantoid (11.24 car- toid is the green gem variety of the mineral andradite (a member of the garnet group). Demanats) from the Korkordino Mine, Ural
toid is arguably the rarest and most valuable garMountains, Russia. 2011 Gift of the
Smithsonian Gemstone Collectors Group. net gem and gets it green color from the substitution of chromium for iron in the garnet crystal
Photo by Harold & Erica Van Pelt.
structure. Demantoid was first discovered in
Russia‘s Ural Mountains in 1851 and was used by the finest jewelers, often seen in Carl Fabergé‘s jewelry and precious objects made for the Czars. Demantoid has been found in Italy,
Iran, and more recently Namibia, but the Russian material continues to be the standard by
which the gem is judged. Gems larger than a few carats are extremely rare.
The Museum‘s newly acquired demantoid was recently discovered in the central Ural Mountains, near Ekaterinburg, Russia. The beautiful cushion-cut gemstone weighs in at 11.24 carats
and displays the very rare and highly prized intense emerald green color. This new addition to
the collection is one of the largest and finest demantoids in existence.
Morganite, or pink beryl, gets its delicate hue
from trace quantities of manganese incorporated
into the crystal structure of the mineral beryl.
Morganite ranges in color from pink or rose to
peach to light violet. This magnificent 448.64
carats gem from Minas Gerais, Brazil was a recent
gift from Tricia and Michael Berns (members of
the Smithsonian Gemstone Collectors) and is the
finest and largest morganite in the National Gem
Collection to date. Photo by Ken Larsen.
New acquisitions to the Petrology Collection include 9 boxes of xenoliths from Salt Lake
Crater, Oahu, Hawaii and a specimen of silicified serpentinite (Liskavite) from Liska River,
Siberia, Russia.