Natural brilliance created by the earth! Minerals of the World Exhibition” at Joetsu Science Museum (Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture)

2024.1.15

Joetsu CityJoetsu Science Museum鉱物

The “World Mineral Exhibition” featuring gemstones such as amethyst, ruby, and diamonds known as precious stones is being held at the Joetsu Science Museum. On display at the venue are 62 minerals of 47 different types produced in countries around the world, including South Africa and Brazil.

This is Rhabdolite from Madagascar. The brilliance changes depending on the angle of view.

Joetsu Science Museum Director Nagai
The stones in jewelry stores and watch stores are polished. Here, we display unpolished gemstones. Some of them glow when exposed to ultraviolet light, and others appear to change color when viewed from different angles. I hope you enjoy them.”

The exhibition is held to let people know how minerals are formed in nature.

This is an amethyst gemstone, a geode. It is thought to be crystallized when groundwater, which has dissolved mineral components, enters the rock, which has hardened as a result of magma cooling.

This is oakenstone, an unusual mineral with fine glassy fibers extending in a radial pattern.

It is also known as rabbit tail because it looks like a rabbit’s tail.

Visitor
Purple stone (amethyst), beautiful.
Spectrolite, iridescent and beautiful.

Parents who visited with their children
The stone looked like a rabbit’s tail, so it’s interesting. I want my child to know that there are still wonders on earth that he or she doesn’t know about.”

The exhibition is open at the Joetsu Science Museum until the 28th of this month.

Workshops on digging out natural stones using a wooden hammer are held twice a day on Sundays, January 14, 21, and 28, at 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. The fee is 300 yen. The fee is 300 yen, and reservations must be made in the museum on the day of the workshop, with a limit of 12 people per workshop.

■Inquiries: Joetsu Science Museum ℡.025-544-2122