“Treasures Unearthed: North Carolina’s Spectacular Gems & Minerals” Opens July 17

July 17, 2004
For Immediate Release
Contact: Maria Sadowski (919) 733-7450, ext. 305

RALEIGH - North Carolina’s incredible geologic diversity has created spectacular treasures—emeralds, rubies, sapphires, gold, and more—that were formed in darkness, underground, over millions of years. They are the history of the ground we walk on, Earth’s original buried treasures.

An anonymous donor amassed an amazing collection of these gems and minerals, using an unmatched eye for beauty and a remarkable knowledge of North Carolina geology. The collection comes from all over the state, many from mines that no longer exist. “Treasures Unearthed” at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences offers the only chance the public will have to view this stunning assortment—the largest collection of North Carolina’s gems and minerals ever displayed.

A recreated gold mine tunnel lets visitors glimpse the difficult conditions faced by early miners, who dug deep beneath the Earth with candles balanced on their miner caps and used dangerous explosives to move massive amounts of rock. The old phrase “canaries in a coal mine” is based in reality; the exhibit includes mining artifacts such as the cages in which canaries were sent down to the mines to make sure the air was not deadly.

Why would people go to such great lengths to explore beneath the Earth? To find gold, precious gems, and valuable minerals—an array of treasures that are as unique and special as the geology that created them.

“Though most of us are familiar with the great variety of habitats found from North Carolina’s mountains to the sea, not many people realize that the biodiversity is rooted in an equally spectacular geology,” says Museum geologist Dr. Chris Tacker. “North Carolina is a patchwork quilt of different terranes, or areas of similar geologic history, that are all smashed together. Over millions of years, the terranes have been cooked,
squeezed, and crumpled in different ways. The result is that each terrane has very distinct materials, yielding an amazing mineral diversity.”

Take emeralds for example. They are North Carolina’s state stone for a very good reason. Emeralds are only formed when two very different rocks (one a source of beryllium and the other a source of chromium) come together. Beryllium and chromium combine with aluminum, silicon, and oxygen to create green beryls—better known as emeralds! Because of its unique terranes, North Carolina has more emeralds than any other place in North America—stones weighing more than 1,500 carats have been found here.

Another example is kobellite, a rare blackish-gray mineral that itself contains two very rare elements. Kobellite is found in two places in the entire United States: Colorado and Wake County, North Carolina. “We’re pleased to present this collection,” says director of exhibits Roy Campbell. “The anonymous collector, who so generously shared his treasures, enabled the Museum to create something very special for the people of North Carolina. We were able to augment the collection with some of the Museum’s own pieces, such as meteorites and one of only 13 diamonds ever found in North Carolina.”

“Treasures Unearthed” also features a hands-on learning lab where visitors can use real scientific equipment to identify rocks and minerals, just as a geologist would do. Twice a day, classes in the lab will provide information about the rocks and minerals used in everyday life—such as the magnetite in compasses, the quartz in a watch, and even the micas used in toothpaste.

This is the first exhibit to be completely created by Museum staff, a process that involved building the display cases, mine, and learning lab, as well as intricate detail work such as creating mounts for the various gems. Major sponsors of “Treasures Unearthed” include Wake Stone Corporation and the N.C. Jewelers Consortium.

“Treasures Unearthed: North Carolina’s Spectacular Gems & Minerals” will be open from July 17, 2004 through June 12, 2005. Admission to the exhibit is: Adults, $6; Students/Seniors (60+), $4; Children (5-11), $3; School Groups, $2; Friends of the Museum, Free. All tickets are $3 on the first Friday of each month after 5:00 p.m.

The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, in downtown Raleigh, documents and interprets the natural history of the state of North Carolina through exhibits, research, collections, publications, and educational programming. Hours: Mon.-Sat., 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sun., noon to 5 p.m. Admission is free. Visit the Museum on the web at www.naturalsciences.org. The Museum is an agency of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, William G. Ross Jr., Secretary.

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