Minerals

Earth is composed of minerals in many forms...

Minerals are (obviously) one of the core reasons the Monongahela Rockhounds club exists. They are essential to us in many ways! Various subjects reveal aspects as to how minerals contribute to civilization as building resources in manufacturing, but they’ve also played a historic role in symbolism through literature a and history. Resources and topics in relation to minerals are abundant. This page dedicates just enough to get a rookie started on their rockhounding journey, or some topics of note for veterans to revisit and/or discover!

Subjects relative to minerals:

Art
- Lapidary Art
- Jewelry Design
- Architecture
- Sculpture
- Stone Masonry
- Graphic Design
- Photography
History / Literature
- Archaeology
- Ancient Civilizations
- Social Studies
- World Religion
Science
- Chemistry
  - Organic Chemistry
- Earth Sciences
  - Geology
  - Gemology
  - Mineralogy
Technology
- 3D Modeling
- Cartography
Engineering
- Mining
- Manufacturing
Mathematics
- Geometry

Key search terms:

mineral
mineralogy
beryl
feldspar
jasper
quartz
silicate
crystal
geode
fossil
gemstone
lapidary art

Tools for mineral identification:

loupe
microscope
spectroscope
ultraviolet (UV) light

Careers involving minerals:

mineralogist
gemologist
geologist
chemist
archaeologist
teacher
museum curator
lapidary artist
fabrication artist
sculptor
stone mason
engineer
miner
manufacturer
salesperson

Fossils

Gemstones

Lapidary Art

Resource

Education

Carnegie Museum of Natural History:
- Hillman Hall of Minerals and Gems
Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History:
- Department of Mineral Sciences

Kids Love Rocks
- Educational Resources to learn the basics.
Mindat.org
- “[T]he world’s largest open database of minerals, rocks, meteorites and the localities they come from.”
The Mineralogical Record
- “A mineral collector’s knowledge base—a wealth of information at your fingertips!”
YupRocks.com
- Rock, mineral, fossil, and earthquake photos that can be used for the educational purpose of “Mineral Identification.”

Mineral

Organizations

Cincinnati Mineral Society
- “An educational society of amateur geologists and mineralogists.”
AMFS Clubs per State
- If you’re not in the Pittsburgh, PA region, find a mineral club near you!
EFMLS Clubs by Map
- If you’re not in the Pittsburgh, PA region, find a mineral club near you (in the Eastern USA Region)!

Pyrite Grand Door Prize at the 2009 Annual Show. Events & Shows:	Fluorite Indoors	Fluorite Outdoors
Fluorite	Galena	Carnegie Museum of Natural History, 2006 Display case curated by the Monongahela Rockhounds in 2006 for our local museum, the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. They have an impressive and dedicated minerals exhibit. Affiliates & Resources:
Amethyst