After 3 years of renovations, the American Museum of Natural History has finally announced that it will open their completely redesigned hall of gems this upcoming fall-and the newly renovated facility is likely to be awe-inspiring.

The Allison and Roberto Mignone Hall of Gems and Minerals has been a part of the museum since the 1970s, although it has been closed for the last three years so curators could dramatically improve its accessibility and content.

The 11,000-square-foot halls have now been optimized to be a brilliant showcase for one of the greatest collections of its kind and an engaging guide to recent science about our dynamic planet.

The redesigned wing of the museum will feature recently acquired specimens, including two remarkable amethyst geodes that are among the world's largest on public display; a gallery of gems re-presenting treasures such as the legendary 563-carat "Star of India" sapphire and 632-carat Patricia emerald; and the halls' first temporary exhibition gallery, opening with Beautiful Creatures, a celebration of exquisite historic and contemporary jewelry inspired by animals.

With interactive displays, touchable specimens and media, the halls' redesigned exhibits will tell the fascinating story of how the vast diversity of mineral types-which, similarly to biological organisms, are grouped into species-arose on Earth, how scientists classify them, and how humans have used them throughout the millennia for personal adornment, tools, and technology.

Highlights will include a luminous gallery featuring a wall-sized panel of rock glowing fluorescently in shades of orange and green; a pair of exquisite amethyst geodes from Uruguay that tower to a height of 12 feet and 9 feet; and the 9-pound almandine "subway" garnet discovered under Manhattan's 35th Street in 1885.

Jewelry in animal forms featured in the temporary exhibition gallery will include pieces by Cartier, Bulgari, and Tiffany & Co., as well as by contemporary designers such as Bina Goenka.

The halls of gems and minerals are named for Roberto and Allison Mignone, longtime Museum supporters and volunteers. Roberto Mignone is a Museum Trustee and Allison Mignone is vice chair of the Museum's Campaign.

The halls are undergoing renovation as part of the physical and programmatic initiatives undertaken in conjunction with the 150th anniversary celebration of the museum, which was founded in 1869.

"The opening of the Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals will be a milestone in a wide range of capital and programmatic enhancements commemorating the Museum's 150th anniversary," said museum president Ellen V. Futter. "By telling the fascinating stories of the complex processes that gave rise to the extraordinary diversity of minerals on our dynamic planet and describing how people have used them throughout history for personal adornment, tools, and technology, the Halls will not just be glittering but also intellectually engaging."

"When I first started as a curator at the Museum over 40 years ago, the most recent version of these galleries had just opened," said George E. Harlow, curator of the new halls. "Science has progressed significantly in that time, such as with the concept of mineral evolution. These new exhibits will present our current scientific understanding of gems and minerals, present the environments in which they form, and focus on the intimate relationship between minerals and life."

"Halls like these are crucial and tangible teaching tools that communicate an understanding of humanity's place in the universe," said Allison Mignone. "Our family's experiences at the Museum have helped us see the discoveries and sparks that take place when spectacular exhibits such as this one are on view, and remarkable stories, such as those that will be featured in these renovated galleries, are told."

Reprinted from the American Museum of Natural History

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