Liufengshan mine in Anhui, China. (Robert Mosley (The Arkenstone))
After more than two years of research and planning, the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History (SBMNH) opens its new summer exhibit called Rare Earth, Saturday, June 11 in Fleischmann Auditorium. The exhibit runs until Sept. 5.
More than a display of gems and minerals, Rare Earth tells the story of how humans can value the natural world in a new light.
More than 200 specimens in a rainbow of colors and abstract shapes are featured in their natural form. highlighting how these works of art naturally occur, where they are found, and how their value (scientific, financial and aesthetic) is appreciated.
The exhibit of sparkling crystals, minerals, and rock formations combines highlights from the museum’s Earth Science Collection with loans from private collectors and UCSB. Robert Lavinsky, owner and founder of The Arkenstone Fine Minerals, loaned a number of the specimens from his personal collection.
“This exhibition merges the seemingly separated worlds of art, culture and science to connect us through stories with the unbelievable crystal treasures found within the Earth,” Lavinsky said.
“These are the raw materials crushed to build our civilization and make our jewelry for thousands of years, and yet seldom seen in their natural glory as collectible and valuable objects of art, in their own right,” he said. “Minerals not only make life and civilization possible, but also empower and inspire the arts and culture.”
“Visitors will experience a unique and truly astonishing collection of minerals that we believe will convey a new way of thinking about the Earth’s resources and how we treat them. This special summer exhibit presents rarely seen specimens, and we’re honored to be able share them,” said Frank Hein, SBMNH director of exhibits.
Fossils will be on display, too, including the skull of a juvenile Triceratops horridus that lived 66 million years ago, and a pair of Colombian Mammoth tusks. When Rare Earth ends, the tusks will be moved to the museum’s Earth Science Hall and displayed alongside the Channel Islands Pygmy Mammoth.
Museum hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Monday, closed Tuesdays. For more, visit sbnature.org/RareEarth.
