Minerals
Naturally occurring, inorganic substances, including diamonds, gold, silver and crystals
Introducing the Dom Pedro Aquamarine
The one gem that can rival the Hope Diamond is finally on display at the Natural History Museum
March 2013 |
By Jerry Adler
There's a New Breed of Forty-Niners Rushing to the Pacific
Lured by the soaring price of the precious metal, prospectors are heading for the California hills like it's 1849 all over again
July 2012 |
By Abigail Tucker
The Devastating Costs of the Amazon Gold Rush
Spurred by rising global demand for the metal, miners are destroying invaluable rainforest in Peru's Amazon basin
February 2012 |
By Donovan Webster
Testing the Hope Diamond
Scientists at the Natural History Museum search for the elusive "recipe" that endows the famed gem with its unique blue color
November 2010 |
By Joseph Caputo
The Search for the Guggenheim Treasure
Loot valued at $20 million lies off the coast of Staten Island, and Ken Hayes is on the hunt for the sunken silver bullion
March 05, 2010 |
By Christopher Solomon
The Secrets Within Cosmic Dust
Dust captured by a spacecraft from a comet's tail holds clues to the origin of the solar system
December 2009 |
By Robert Irion
A New Chapter in the Hope Diamond’s History
The National Museum of Natural History’s most famous gem gets a modern update
August 18, 2009 |
By Abby Callard
Civil War Geology
What underlies the Civil War’s 25 bloodiest battles? Two geologists investigate why certain terrain proved so hazardous
April 14, 2009 |
By David Zax
The Curious Case of the Arkansas Diamonds
In a state park full of amateur diamond miners, one prospector dug up a valuable stone worth thousands of dollars—or did he?
January 09, 2009 |
By Brendan Borrell
Golden Grail
Few U.S. coins are rarer than the never circulated 1933 double eagle, melted down after the nation dropped the gold standard
June 2008 |
By Owen Edwards
Diamonds on Demand
Lab-grown gemstones are now practically indistinguishable from mined diamonds. Scientists and engineers see a world of possibilities
June 2008 |
By Ulrich Boser
The Smithsonian's Crystal Skull
How the museum's quartz cranium highlights the epic silliness of the new Indiana Jones movie
May 30, 2008 |
By Owen Edwards
Glow-in-the-Dark Jewels
How the Hope Diamond's mysterious phosphorescence led to "fingerprinting" blue diamonds
January 14, 2008 |
By Kenneth R. Fletcher
Midas Touch
To clean highly polluted groundwater, Michael Wong has developed a detergent based on gold
October 2007 |
By William Booth
Mystery at Sea
How mercury gets into tuna and other fish in the ocean has scientists searching from the coast to the floor
September 27, 2007 |
By Eric Jaffe
A Brief History of the Amber Room
Dubbed the "Eighth Wonder of the World," the room that once symbolized peace was stolen by Nazis then disappeared for good
August 01, 2007 |
By Jess Blumberg
Paleozoic Vermont
What's the world's oldest communal ocean reef doing in the Green Mountain State?
January 2007 |
By Dick Teresi
Diamonds Unearthed
In part two of this series, Smithsonian diamond expert Jeffrey Post, curator of the National Gem and Mineral Collection, discusses conflict diamonds, colored diamonds and synthetic gems grown in the lab
January 01, 2007 |
By Cate Lineberry
Diamonds Unearthed
In the final installment of this three-part series, Smithsonian diamond expert Jeffrey Post, curator of the National Gem and Mineral Collection, discusses the fascinating stories behind the Smithsonian's diamond collection
January 01, 2007 |
By Cate Lineberry
