Mineral and Lapidary Museum
Encyclopedia
The Mineral and Lapidary Museum of Henderson County is a volunteer-run museum in Hendersonville, North Carolina
founded in 1997 at 400 North Main Street in the middle of the city's Historic District.
Located in Western North Carolina
astride the geologically rich Blue Ridge Mountains
, the decade-old the museum has been nicknamed The Geode-Cracking Museum. On a typical day, geode
s are cracked in half by volunteer staff.
The Ultimate Guide to Asheville & The Western North Carolina Mountains explains that "The purpose of the museum is to support the education of the children of Henderson and neighboring counties in the Earth Science
areas of Mineralogy
, Geology
, Paleontology
and the associated Lapidary Arts
. The museum has ongoing exhibits of regional mineral
s and gem
stones of interest to the general public and a workshop where gem-cutting and polishing
demonstrations are held."
The guidebook further elaborates that "This museum is run by the Henderson County Gem and Mineral Society, a valuable source of information for those people interested in rock hounding in the mountains."
notes that the petrology
and natural history
museum features a variety of "gem
s, mineral
s, geode
s and fossil
s from around the world." The regional exhibits include dozens of stone
and mineral specimens from North Carolina
, and a long wall of local Henderson Augen
Gneiss
.
A six-foot-tall purple amethyst
geode
from Brazil is the largest geode on display. Yet another exhibit features over two dozen pairs of colorful quartz
and calcite
geodes from Mexico.
One unusual mineralology exhibit presents three dozen fluorescent minerals, such as fluorite
, opal
, willemite
, calcite
, ruby
and sodalite
. Phosphorescence
is illustrated by the use of (a) short-wave ultraviolet light and (b) long-wave ultraviolet light -- also known as black light
-- as well as (c) by the use of both combined.
Among the gemstone
s exhibited are four replica versions of the Hope Diamond
, including a reproduction of the large 18th-century French Blue Diamond.
Chunks of the 1901 Hendersonville iron
-nickel
meteorite
are displayed nearby, as are local Native American
(probably early Cherokee
) archeological artifact
s.
As for fossils and paleontology
, the Mineral and Lapidary Museum has a replica Tyrannosaurus rex skull
from the Cretaceous period of the Mesozoic era. Another skull is that of Smilodon
, the big sabre-tooth cat from the Pleistocene epoch of the Cenozoic era -- not to overlook a replica tusk
from a prehistoric mastodon
.
Children are welcomed to touch the authentic (non-avian
) dinosaur
eggs on display. Laid by a duck-billed hadrosaur many millions of year ago during the late Mesozoic, these fosssilized eggs were discovered in the Hunan province of China.
The museum has three giant tree
trunks of petrified wood
, permineralized
by the passage of vast geologic time. Visitors may actually rest on these relics of the distant, deep past.
Hendersonville, North Carolina
Hendersonville is a city in Henderson County, North Carolina, USA, southeast of Asheville. In 1900, 1,917 persons lived in Hendersonville; in 1910, 2,818; and in 1940, 5,381 people lived here. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 12,223, up fivefold in one century. It is the county...
founded in 1997 at 400 North Main Street in the middle of the city's Historic District.
Located in Western North Carolina
Western North Carolina
Western North Carolina is the region of North Carolina which includes the Appalachian Mountains, thus it is often known geographically as the state's Mountain Region. It is sometimes included with upstate South Carolina as the "Western Carolinas", which is also counted as a single media market...
astride the geologically rich Blue Ridge Mountains
Blue Ridge Mountains
The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. This province consists of northern and southern physiographic regions, which divide near the Roanoke River gap. The mountain range is located in the eastern United States, starting at its southern-most...
, the decade-old the museum has been nicknamed The Geode-Cracking Museum. On a typical day, geode
Geode
Geodes are geological secondary sedimentary structures which occur in sedimentary and certain volcanic rocks. Geodes are essentially spherical masses of mineral matter that were deposited sygenetically within the rock formations they are found in. Geodes have a Chalcedony shell containing...
s are cracked in half by volunteer staff.
The Ultimate Guide to Asheville & The Western North Carolina Mountains explains that "The purpose of the museum is to support the education of the children of Henderson and neighboring counties in the Earth Science
Earth science
Earth science is an all-embracing term for the sciences related to the planet Earth. It is arguably a special case in planetary science, the Earth being the only known life-bearing planet. There are both reductionist and holistic approaches to Earth sciences...
areas of Mineralogy
Mineralogy
Mineralogy is the study of chemistry, crystal structure, and physical properties of minerals. Specific studies within mineralogy include the processes of mineral origin and formation, classification of minerals, their geographical distribution, as well as their utilization.-History:Early writing...
, Geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
, Paleontology
Paleontology
Paleontology "old, ancient", ὄν, ὀντ- "being, creature", and λόγος "speech, thought") is the study of prehistoric life. It includes the study of fossils to determine organisms' evolution and interactions with each other and their environments...
and the associated Lapidary Arts
Lapidary
A lapidary is an artist or artisan who forms stone, mineral, gemstones, and other suitably durable materials into decorative items such as engraved gems, including cameos, or cabochons, and faceted designs...
. The museum has ongoing exhibits of regional mineral
Mineral
A mineral is a naturally occurring solid chemical substance formed through biogeochemical processes, having characteristic chemical composition, highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties. By comparison, a rock is an aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids and does not...
s and gem
Gem
Gem generally refers to a gemstone, a cut rock or mineral.Gem may also refer to:-Places:* Gem, California, a former settlement in the United States* Gem, Indiana, a small town in the United States* Gem, Kansas, a small town in the United States...
stones of interest to the general public and a workshop where gem-cutting and polishing
Polishing
Polishing is the process of creating a smooth and shiny surface by rubbing it or using a chemical action, leaving a surface with a significant specular reflection In some materials polishing is also able to reduce diffuse reflection to...
demonstrations are held."
The guidebook further elaborates that "This museum is run by the Henderson County Gem and Mineral Society, a valuable source of information for those people interested in rock hounding in the mountains."
Exhibits
The AAAAAA
AAA, or Triple-A, may be a three-letter acronym or may just mean something that is high-quality, premier, or excellent.As a proper noun, Aaa is found only in the species name Cavaticovelia aaa , an insect from Hawaii....
notes that the petrology
Petrology
Petrology is the branch of geology that studies rocks, and the conditions in which rocks form....
and natural history
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
museum features a variety of "gem
Gemstone
A gemstone or gem is a piece of mineral, which, in cut and polished form, is used to make jewelry or other adornments...
s, mineral
Mineral
A mineral is a naturally occurring solid chemical substance formed through biogeochemical processes, having characteristic chemical composition, highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties. By comparison, a rock is an aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids and does not...
s, geode
Geode
Geodes are geological secondary sedimentary structures which occur in sedimentary and certain volcanic rocks. Geodes are essentially spherical masses of mineral matter that were deposited sygenetically within the rock formations they are found in. Geodes have a Chalcedony shell containing...
s and fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
s from around the world." The regional exhibits include dozens of stone
STONe
is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Sin-Ichi Hiromoto. Kodansha released the two bound volumes of the manga on April 23, 2002 and August 23, 2002, respectively.The manga is licensed for an English-languague released in North America be Tokyopop...
and mineral specimens from North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, and a long wall of local Henderson Augen
Augen
Augen are large, lenticular eye-shaped mineral grains or mineral aggregates visible in some foliated metamorphic rocks. In cross section they have the shape of an eye.Feldspar, quartz, and garnet are common minerals which form augen....
Gneiss
Gneiss
Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks.-Etymology:...
.
A six-foot-tall purple amethyst
Amethyst
Amethyst is a violet variety of quartz often used in jewelry. The name comes from the Ancient Greek ἀ a- and μέθυστος methustos , a reference to the belief that the stone protected its owner from drunkenness; the ancient Greeks and Romans wore amethyst and made drinking vessels of it in the belief...
geode
Geode
Geodes are geological secondary sedimentary structures which occur in sedimentary and certain volcanic rocks. Geodes are essentially spherical masses of mineral matter that were deposited sygenetically within the rock formations they are found in. Geodes have a Chalcedony shell containing...
from Brazil is the largest geode on display. Yet another exhibit features over two dozen pairs of colorful quartz
Quartz
Quartz is the second-most-abundant mineral in the Earth's continental crust, after feldspar. It is made up of a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall formula SiO2. There are many different varieties of quartz,...
and calcite
Calcite
Calcite is a carbonate mineral and the most stable polymorph of calcium carbonate . The other polymorphs are the minerals aragonite and vaterite. Aragonite will change to calcite at 380-470°C, and vaterite is even less stable.-Properties:...
geodes from Mexico.
One unusual mineralology exhibit presents three dozen fluorescent minerals, such as fluorite
Fluorite
Fluorite is a halide mineral composed of calcium fluoride, CaF2. It is an isometric mineral with a cubic habit, though octahedral and more complex isometric forms are not uncommon...
, opal
Opal
Opal is an amorphous form of silica related to quartz, a mineraloid form, not a mineral. 3% to 21% of the total weight is water, but the content is usually between 6% to 10%. It is deposited at a relatively low temperature and may occur in the fissures of almost any kind of rock, being most...
, willemite
Willemite
Willemite is a zinc silicate mineral and a minor ore of zinc. It is highly fluorescent under shortwave ultraviolet light.It occurs in all different colors in daylight, in fibrous masses, solid brown masses , and apple green gemmy masses.It was discovered in 1830 and named after William I of the...
, calcite
Calcite
Calcite is a carbonate mineral and the most stable polymorph of calcium carbonate . The other polymorphs are the minerals aragonite and vaterite. Aragonite will change to calcite at 380-470°C, and vaterite is even less stable.-Properties:...
, ruby
Ruby
A ruby is a pink to blood-red colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum . The red color is caused mainly by the presence of the element chromium. Its name comes from ruber, Latin for red. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called sapphires...
and sodalite
Sodalite
Sodalite is a rich royal blue mineral widely enjoyed as an ornamental gemstone. Although massive sodalite samples are opaque, crystals are usually transparent to translucent...
. Phosphorescence
Phosphorescence
Phosphorescence is a specific type of photoluminescence related to fluorescence. Unlike fluorescence, a phosphorescent material does not immediately re-emit the radiation it absorbs. The slower time scales of the re-emission are associated with "forbidden" energy state transitions in quantum...
is illustrated by the use of (a) short-wave ultraviolet light and (b) long-wave ultraviolet light -- also known as black light
Black light
A black light, also referred to as a UV light, ultraviolet light, or Wood's lamp, is a lamp that emits ultraviolet radiation in the long-wave range, and little visible light...
-- as well as (c) by the use of both combined.
Among the gemstone
Gemstone
A gemstone or gem is a piece of mineral, which, in cut and polished form, is used to make jewelry or other adornments...
s exhibited are four replica versions of the Hope Diamond
Hope Diamond
The Hope Diamond, also known as "Le bleu de France" or "Le Bijou du Roi", is a large, , deep-blue diamond, now housed in the Smithsonian Natural History Museum in Washington, D.C. It is blue to the naked eye because of trace amounts of boron within its crystal structure, but exhibits red...
, including a reproduction of the large 18th-century French Blue Diamond.
Chunks of the 1901 Hendersonville iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
-nickel
Nickel
Nickel is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel belongs to the transition metals and is hard and ductile...
meteorite
Meteorite
A meteorite is a natural object originating in outer space that survives impact with the Earth's surface. Meteorites can be big or small. Most meteorites derive from small astronomical objects called meteoroids, but they are also sometimes produced by impacts of asteroids...
are displayed nearby, as are local Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
(probably early Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
) archeological artifact
Artifact (archaeology)
An artifact or artefact is "something made or given shape by man, such as a tool or a work of art, esp an object of archaeological interest"...
s.
As for fossils and paleontology
Paleontology
Paleontology "old, ancient", ὄν, ὀντ- "being, creature", and λόγος "speech, thought") is the study of prehistoric life. It includes the study of fossils to determine organisms' evolution and interactions with each other and their environments...
, the Mineral and Lapidary Museum has a replica Tyrannosaurus rex skull
Skull
The skull is a bony structure in the head of many animals that supports the structures of the face and forms a cavity for the brain.The skull is composed of two parts: the cranium and the mandible. A skull without a mandible is only a cranium. Animals that have skulls are called craniates...
from the Cretaceous period of the Mesozoic era. Another skull is that of Smilodon
Smilodon
Smilodon , often called a saber-toothed cat or saber-toothed tiger, is an extinct genus of machairodonts. This saber-toothed cat was endemic to North America and South America, living from near the beginning through the very end of the Pleistocene epoch .-Etymology:The nickname "saber-tooth" refers...
, the big sabre-tooth cat from the Pleistocene epoch of the Cenozoic era -- not to overlook a replica tusk
Tusk
Tusks are elongated, continuously growing front teeth, usually but not always in pairs, that protrude well beyond the mouth of certain mammal species. They are most commonly canines, as with warthogs, wild boar, and walruses, or, in the case of elephants and narwhals, elongated incisors...
from a prehistoric mastodon
Mastodon
Mastodons were large tusked mammal species of the extinct genus Mammut which inhabited Asia, Africa, Europe, North America and Central America from the Oligocene through Pleistocene, 33.9 mya to 11,000 years ago. The American mastodon is the most recent and best known species of the group...
.
Children are welcomed to touch the authentic (non-avian
Avian
Avian may refer to:* Bird* Avian , an American metal band* AVIAN International, major international company headquartered in Hungary.* Aviano or Avian, an Italian city...
) dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
eggs on display. Laid by a duck-billed hadrosaur many millions of year ago during the late Mesozoic, these fosssilized eggs were discovered in the Hunan province of China.
The museum has three giant tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
trunks of petrified wood
Petrified wood
Petrified wood is the name given to a special type of fossilized remains of terrestrial vegetation. It is the result of a tree having turned completely into stone by the process of permineralization...
, permineralized
Permineralization
Permineralization is a process of fossilization in which mineral deposits form internal casts of organisms. Carried by water, these minerals fill the spaces within organic tissue...
by the passage of vast geologic time. Visitors may actually rest on these relics of the distant, deep past.
External links
- Mineral & Lapidary Museum official website
- North Carolina Museums Council
- North Carolina Exploring Cultural Heritage Online - includes listings and photos of NC museums
- Learn NC
- Osomin website - List of Mineral & fossil museums in the United States]