News

Meet the Trilobites

Long before the dinosaurs ruled the earth, the trilobites ruled the seas. Ancient relatives of lobsters and horseshoe crabs, trilobites flourished in the warm seas that covered much of Arizona millions of years ago. “Meet the Trilobites – Arizona’s First Inhabitants,” the new exhibit at the Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium, features world-class trilobite fossils from around the globe. Come travel back in time and discover the wondrous world of trilobites!

Read more

Somewhere In The Rainbow presents A Modern Gem and Jewelry Collection

The specimens in this exquisite collection of gems, gemstones, and minerals have been specially selected to engage the public with the beauty, science, history and geography of gemstones.

Somewhere In The Rainbow, an organization dedicated to expanding public knowledge and appreciation of gemstones, has curated this exhibit in collaboration with the UA Mineral Museum, the American Gem Trade Association, and the Gemmological Institute of Great Britain (known as Gem-A).

Read more

The Hubert C. de Monmonier Collection

See the beautiful, the classic, the rare, and the worldwide scope of Hubert C. de Monmonier’s unique mineral collection, on display for the very first time. The extraordinary exhibit includes precious metals from gold to platinum, unusual quartz specimens, and 16th century classic texts in mineralogy.

 

Read more

UA Gem And Mineral Museum Moving

The University of Arizona Geosciences Department has set its sights on expansion for decades, and this dream is becoming a reality. We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to call the stunning Pima County Corthouse our new home. We are set to expand our scope and presence with a state-of-the-art University of Arizona Gem And Mineral Museum.

Learn More

Senior Curatorial Specialist Shirley Wetmore retires

Since her arrival at the University of Arizona in 1975, she has worked tirelessly to maintain and improve the collections, promote the Mineral Museum and educate thousands of visiting schoolchildren in minerals and geology.

Shirley first became a volunteer at the University of Arizona Mineral Museum in 1975, shortly after her arrival in Tucson. It was during this time that she helped organize and catalog the Museum’s collection that dates back to 1891...

Read more