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AMNH’s redesigned gallery shines bright like a diamond
Looking for a truly brilliant adventure in NYC? After a multi-year renovation, the American Museum of Natural History has reopened its most radiant gallery, The Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals. We’re talking mind-blowing, mined gems that rank among the largest and most precious in the world—minerals so mesmerizing they glow like something out of The Legends of the Hidden Temple.
Need another reason to visit? We’ll give you five.
With over 5,000 minerals and gemstones, the sheer amount of material is astounding. But it’s the collection’s range that will transport you: unearthed from 95 different countries, from southeastern China to the Scottish Highlands, the gallery’s 11,000 square feet cover more ground than meets the eye. It even delves underground, too, with the nine-pound almandine Subway Garnet, discovered in 1885 beneath NYC’s 35th Street.
The reimagined halls showcase more specimens than ever before, and dig deeper into how scientists classify and study the collection—it’s like stepping into a geologist’s shoes for a day. The names of minerals alone sparkle on the tongue like spells straight out of Hermione Granger’s mouth: Luminous Labradorite, Singing Stone, Gargantuan Garnets. One stunning specimen, Metaseqoia, is a slice of petrified dawn redwood, 35 million years old, that turned from stick to stone after being buried in volcanic ash—if that isn’t magic, we don’t know what is.
If you’re the type that feels those good vibrations from crystal therapy, the Halls of Gems takes it up a notch. There are over 2,000 gems lining the halls, all but guaranteed to put a sparkle in your eye. We’re talking diamonds, duh, but also dazzling pink tourmalines and extra rare red topazes. It’s no wonder gemstones have been used as retail therapy since forever.
Sure, there are so many superlative specimens in this showcase, it’ll make your head spin—one shining example being the notorious 563-carat Star of India sapphire. But your inner-child (or your actual child, if they tag along) will get lost staring into one of the massive, sparkling amethyst geodes—measuring up to 12,000 pounds, it’s among the world’s largest on display.
The collection’s gemstones are gorgeous enough, but the hall’s special exhibition will make your jaw drop. Called Beautiful Creatures, it’s like a glass menagerie filled with over 100 pieces of animal-themed jewelry designed by the world’s great jewelry houses. We’re talking studded starfish designed by the surrealist himself, Salvador Dalí, alongside Cartier’s iconic panthers and Suzanne Belperron’s butterfly brooches. It’s on the new gallery’s first floor, and it will floor you.
