Gems and Minerals
Marvel at a variety of minerals while learning vital information needed to appreciate them. Displays help visitors to understand what a mineral is (and is not), identification traits, what crystals are and how they form. Fine specimens portray the mineral heritage of Western New York, New York State, and Ontario. The astounding variability of certain minerals is illustrated using quartz, calcite, gypsum and hematite.

A gem display traces specimens to their origins as natural mineral crystals, and another shows beautiful objects crafted from minerals by artisans. A systematic array of hundreds of fine specimens provides a classification of minerals according to their chemical composition and crystal structure.