Carnegie Museum of Natural History

One of the Four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh

Mineral Gazing

by Debra Wilson

Have you ever gazed up at the sky and noticed a cloud that looks like a face, or an animal, or an object? You can apply the same concept when you visit Hillman Hall of Minerals and Gems! Many minerals on display have nicknames because of how they resemble certain animals, objects, or even characters from movies or TV shows. As you walk through the exhibits, let your imagination wander and search for minerals that look like things. Here are some to get you started.

Silver mineral that looks like an American flag
“The Flag” – Silver in the Native Elements case of the Systematic Mineral Collection
Image of the American flag that says "we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain...rememeber Dec. 7th!"
Photo credit: Allen Saalburg, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Nessie silver mineral
“Nessie” – Silver in Minerals from the Former Soviet Union exhibit
Loch Ness monster sculpture in the water
Photo credit: Immanuel Giel, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
snowball calcite on quartz
“Snowball” – Calcite on quartz in the Maramures District of Romania exhibit
snowball held in mitten-covered hands
Photo from Shutterstock.
Inch Worm berthierite on quartz
“Inch Worm” – Berthierite on quartz in The Maramures District of Romania exhibit
photo of an inch worm
Photo credit: gbohne from Berlin, Germany, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Scream septarian concretion
“The Scream” – Septarian concretion in the Weathering Processes exhibit
"The Scream" painting
Image credit: Edvard Munch, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
the oyster natrolite on quartz
“The Oyster” –  Natrolite on quartz in the Deccan Plateau of India exhibit
oyster shell with a pearl
Photo from Shutterstock.
French fries laumontite
“French Fries” – Laumontite in Masterpiece Gallery
cup of French fries
Image by ha11ok from Pixabay.

As you enter Hillman Hall, check out the minerals in the Entrance Cube, their nicknames are on the labels. There are many more minerals on display throughout the hall that have acquired nicknames. Here’s just a handful of other nicknames for minerals in the exhibits, see if you can find them. Good luck and enjoy your mineral gazing!

NicknameExhibit
The BatIgneous Rocks
Polar BearWeathering Processes
Sea SlugThe Maramures District of Romania
The ChariotsThe Maramures District of Romania
Smog MonsterThe Maramures District of Romania
Sea SerpentPennsylvania Minerals and Gems
Pine Trees On a CliffOxides
BBQ ChipsMasterpiece Gallery
Cookies and CreamMasterpiece Gallery

Debra Wilson is Collection Manager for the Section of Minerals at Carnegie Museum of Natural History.

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Carnegie Museum of Natural History Blog Citation Information

Blog author: Wilson, Debra
Publication date: June 28, 2024

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