The new Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University exhibit "Treasures From the Mineral Vault" will open on Nov. 5. The Academy promises that anyone who has been stumped by the question "What's the difference between a rock and a mineral?" will know the answer in full by the time they leave the exhibit.
Visitors will also learn why some minerals are shaped like cubes, prisms on a chandelier.
Academy scientists hand-picked all 50 minerals presented from the museum's vaults. The Academy’s mineral collection contains thousands of specimens and dates to the earliest days of the institution in 1812.
“You don’t have to be a geologist to appreciate and enjoy examining minerals,” Ted Daeschler, a geologist and Academy vice president for collections and the library, stated in a press release.
“The vivid yellows, deep reds, forest greens, and radiant purples are really something to see—and to learn how they were formed millions of years ago deep in the earth.”
The exhibit is organized into four large cases featuring different varieties of quartz, calcite, fluorite and feldspar.
"Treasures From the Mineral Vault"
Opening Saturday, Nov. 5
Monday-Thursday 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Weekends 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
$13.95-$17.95 per person
Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University
1900 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy