COLLECTIBLE MINERALS

Exhibition from September 6, 2023 to March 9, 2024

The Mineralogy Museum of Mines Paris - PSL reveals new treasures

The Mineralogy Museum of the Mines Paris - PSL presents, from September 6^th 2023 until March 9^th 2024, an innovating exhibition entitled “Collectible Minerals” (“Minéraux : objets de collection”). On this occasion, the museum reveals the secrets of its treasures and their acquisition through more than two centuries: gemstones, minerals, rocks, meteorites, fine art objects, each of those having a prestigious pedigree.

Minerals raise fascination and greed: they are exploited to serve the industry, gathered on the field for their scientific interest, collected as objects of natural art. With its 230 years of history, the Mineralogy Museum of the Mines Paris - PSL witnesses all of these different features and recounts the long history of its collections and their constitution, through the exhibition “Collectible Minerals”.

For the first time in its modern history, the museum opens its storages and drawers to reveal several hundreds of mineral samples acquired through purchases, field collecting, revolutionary seizures, donations, exchanges and heritage preservation. In the museum’s gallery, the showcases dedicated to the exhibition “Collectible Minerals” present exceptional objects and the human histories related to them. Among these objects and their histories, on the occasion of this unique exhibition visitors could discover for example the gemstones of the French crown jewels saved from their auction sale in 1887, mineral collections having belonged to renown scientist such as Dolomieu, rocks collected during the expedition in the northern seas by Prince Napoleon in 1856. “Collectible Minerals” also reveals some fine art objects, such as the Chinese objects from the collection of Henri Bertin, minister of Louis XV, which were seized during the French Revolution.

Aside the historical and scientific aspects, these collections also present, since their creation, strategical issues: they allow to identify and map the territories’ resources and to organize their exploitation. Thus, the mineral ores of lithium and cobalt presented in the exhibition are nowadays the core of the issues related to the energetic transition. This historical collection is therefore a precious instrument for materializing and talking about the strategic, economic and environmental issues that govern our present and shape our future.

“Collectible Minerals” is an immersive and education experience that highlights the beauty of minerals and explore their scientific cultural and historical significance. The exhibition is aimed at both novice and experienced visitors, from those who have already slipped a pebble into their pocket to those with a passion for natural science, art and culture. The exhibition is an initiative of the Mineralogy Museum of Mines Paris – PSL, realized thanks to the support and patronage of L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts.

A few specimens from the collection of the Marquis de Drée, including the collection of famous French geologist Dolomieu, presented in the exhibit "Collectible Minerals". Credit: Musée de Minéralogie Mines Paris - PSL / E. Gaillou.

About the Mineralogy Museum

Created in 1794, the mineralogy collection of the Mines Paris - PSL is one of the most comprehensive in the world, with 100,000 samples in the collection and 5,000 on display, including over a thousand mineral species. Meteorites, rocks, gems and artificial materials are also included. The samples are the fruit of almost 230 years of collecting and inventorying the mineralogical diversity of the Earth and the Universe.

About L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts

Founded in 2012 on the initiative of Van Cleef & Arpels, L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts is dedicated to sharing jewelry culture with the general public, across eras and civilizations. Through its courses, lectures, exhibitions, publications and research projects, L’ÉCOLE opens the doors of this all-too-long-secret art to everyone.

Since 2020, L'École des Arts Joailliers has been supporting the development of the Mineralogy Museum at Mines Paris - PSL, including the exhibition "Collectible minerals".

About Mines Paris – PSL

Mines Paris – PSL, also known as L’Mines Paris - PSL, is part of the PSL University. It trains engineers that are also excellent international scientists, and who are capable of meeting the challenges of tomorrow. Among the strategies and aims of Mines Paris - PSL, one is to be a key actor within the fields of innovation and entrepreneurship, and that of the energetic transition. The institution is also a reference for the study of new and ecologic materials and technologies, mathematics and digital engineering, all working for the transformation of the industry, including the sanitary one. At the same time, since its creation in 1783, Mines Paris - PSL still remains faithful to its value of solidarity and opening towards society.

A few specimens of the collection of the Marquis de Drée, including the collection of famous French geologist Dolomieu presented in the exhibit "Collectible Minerals". Credit: Musée de Minéralogie Mines Paris - PSL / E. Gaillou.