The College of Science weekly video series, Mineral Monday, explores the many minerals, fossils and historical objects on display at the W.M. Keck Earth Science and Mineral Engineering Museum, as told by curator Garrett Barmore. This week, Garrett brings out two staurolite crystals and explains their unique cross formation.
While they look like they may have ben carved to form a perfect cross, the twinned staurolite crystals form this way naturally.
Staurolite crystals can come un-twinned, and look more like a standard crystal without the unique cross formation you see here.
More about the Keck Museum and Mineral Monday
Located in the Mackay School of Mines building at the University of Nevada, Reno, the W.M. Keck Earth Science and Mineral Engineering Museum is open to the public Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the first Saturday of the month from 12 p.m. - 4 p.m.
The Keck Museum houses an outstanding collection of minerals, ores, fossil specimens, and photographs, in addition to mining related relics. The museum is also home to some of the spectacular Mackay Silver Collection, created by Tiffany & Co., for John Mackay and completed in 1878.
For directions and museum details, visit unr.edu/keck.
Mineral Monday is produced by the College of Science. To receive Mineral Monday in your inbox each week, sign up here.
See you next MIneral Monday!
