The Latvian Museum of Natural History holds a remarkable mineralogy collection. More than 400 minerals are showcased in the Mineralogy exhibition. Included are specimens from the oldest collection, namely, from the 18th-century collection of N. Himsel: rock crystal, malachite, kyanite, and epidote, among others. Also on display are the museum’s largest and most beautiful mineral specimens – amethyst and citrine geodes, and a rock crystal druse.
The exhibition explains what minerals are, how they form, and how they are classified. Each mineral has specific physical properties which differentiate it: translucency, colour, luster, cleavage, hardness, density (specific weight), magnetism, and fluorescence. As part of the exhibition, visitors can try determining the properties of various minerals themselves.
The minerals in the exhibition have been arranged according to the Karl Hugo Strunz mineral classification scheme.
The exhibition was created in 2018 with support from the Latvian Environmental Protection Fund and the State Culture Capital Foundation.
