News

Mineral Evolution Gallery in Museum (Rendering)

UA's planned new gem and mineral museum downtown

Nov. 1, 2019

With its expanded space and upgraded collection, the University of Arizona Gem and Mineral Museum aims to tell this story, bringing the Tucson community together to learn about the influence that minerals have on the planet, the environment and life itself.

The museum, which will now be called the UA Alfie Norville Gem and Mineral Museum, is set to open by fall 2020 and will be located in the historic Pima County Courthouse in the heart of downtown. The courthouse, which is undergoing renovations, will also be the new home to Visit Tucson and Pima County’s regional visitor center.

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Senior Curatorial Specialist Shirley Wetmore retires

Feb. 3, 2012

The UA Mineral Museum’s special exhibit, “100 Years of Arizona’s Best: The Minerals That Made The State” will commemorate Arizona’s State Centennial with a dazzling display of Arizona minerals on loan from top collectors. Arizona is famous for both its copper wealth and its mineral specimens. This exhibit celebrates the state’s rich mining history with captivating archival photos and a rare chance to see the best of Arizona’s incredible minerals gathered together in one special exhibit.

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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!

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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).

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Pima County Courthouse

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.

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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...

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Minerals of China

Don’t miss our new exhibit, “Crystalline Treasures: the Mineral Heritage of China.  You’ll see astonishing mineral specimens from China that have never been seen before in a public exhibition.  And you’ll learn about the ancient history and culture of China, a civilization that goes back five thousand years, a civilization that changed the world with the invention of gunpowder, paper, and silk.

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UA Mineral Museum Receives Its Largest Donation of Minerals Ever

The UA department of geosciences’ Mineral Museum recently received the largest single donation in the museum’s history – more than 8,000 mineral samples, including about 1,000 species the museum did not have. The donated samples will be used for research and may help identify rocks on Mars.

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