Room of Varieties
In the gallery of varieties, the diversity of German agate and jasper deposits awaits you. A variety of specimens are shown here, often associated with amethyst, rock crystal and smoky quartz. There are pieces from the traditional gemstone area around Idar-Oberstein as well as great specimens from Saxony.
Be fascinated by the different colours of the agates as well as the different structures of the jasper and admire the largest agate ever found in Saxony from Schlottwitz.
Oberpfalz, Fichtelgebirge, Bavarian Forest
This part of the exhibition takes you to the southwest of Germany. In addition to large specimens from the fluorspar region near Wölsendorf, pegmatite minerals from the Fichtelgebirge are also shown here. If you look closely, you will also be able to discover a few German gemstones in the showcases.
The Hagendorf site is known worldwide for its rare phosphate minerals. 27 different minerals have their type locality here, which means that they were first described from this locality.
Hunsrück, Saarland, Schwarzwald
The mineral-rich Black Forest is especially known for its many fluorspar deposits. Excellent specimens of barite and fluorite in various colours and formations come from this area. But also some rare minerals like clinoclase and scorodite from the Clara Mine can be discovered in the showcases.
Also located in this room are some "mineralogical spotlights". These are outstanding mineral specimens that were discovered away from the famous mining locations. These include fabulous celestines from the otherwise mineral-poor region around Berlin, and also some rare minerals from the Richelsdorfer Gebirge.
From green to grey, where is the blue?
In Kautenbach on the Mosel you can find the world's best locality for the so-called "Blaubleierz" (blue-lead-ore).
This is a pseudomorphism, meaning a transformation, of green pyromorphite into grey-blue shimmering galenite. Such processes only occur under very special conditions, so that excellent specimens like these are very rare all over the world.
Carved in stone
Such barite crystals are called "Meißelspat" ("chisel spar") because of their typical shape. This impressive specimen comes from the Clara Mine, currently the only active mine in the Black Forest area.
It is well known and popular among collectors, because everyone can search for minerals on specially created dumps. In addition to great specimens of barite and fluorite, the mine is especially famous for its diverse copper minerals.
In the Africa Hall of terra mineralia, however, some of the most beautiful copper minerals in the world are exhibited.
