June Presentation: Recent Acquisitions to the National Mineral & Gem Collections

by Laura Dwyer, MSDC Member

Dr. Mike Wise with an exceptional tourmaline specimen from the Jonas mine in Minas Gerais, Brazil.

MSDC’s June 3 presentation will feature a few of the many specimens recently obtained by the acquisition team at several mineral shows. Rare diamonds, unique fluorite crystals, colorful gems, and exquisite carvings highlight the diverse specimens collected from around the world that are now part of the permanent gem and mineral collections at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History (NMNH).

The national gem and mineral collections at NMNH continue to grow thanks in part to legacy endowments and the generosity of private benefactors. The Mineral and Gem Acquisition Team at NMNH actively pursues the procurement of mineral and gem specimens that can be used in permanent and temporary exhibits within and outside of the Museum, as well as being made available to the scientific community for scholarly research.

These 15 diamonds are part of the Winston Fancy Color Diamond Collection on view at the NMNH. The diamonds vary in color from a soft peach to a deep teal and range in size from 0.40 to 9.49 carats. Photo credit: Robert Weldon, arranged by Gabriela Farfan. Photo is courtesy of Ronald Winston.

Mike Wise’s Bio

Michael “Mike” Wise is a mineralogist in the Department of Mineral Sciences at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. He has spoken to MSDC on numerous occasions. Many of us have learned to appreciate his broad and deep knowledge and warm, engaging speaking style.

As a young boy, Mike grew up with a deep interest in many fields of science, but it was during his undergraduate studies at the University of Virginia that ignited his budding interest in rocks and minerals.

From 1981-1987, Mike attended the University of Manitoba in southern Canada where he received his PhD in geology while studying under the tutelage of Petr Černý, at the time, one of the leading pegmatite researchers in the world. Mike’s PhD studies took him to some of Canada’s most remote areas where he became fascinated with the mineralogy, petrology, and geochemistry of granitic pegmatites.

In 1988, Mike joined the Smithsonian as a research scientist where he launched his career studying the pegmatites of western Maine. His projects, then and now, mostly focus on the chemistry of pegmatite minerals to understand their origin, chemical evolution, and importance as ore bodies and gem deposits.

In addition to his pegmatite research, Mike is very active in education and outreach activities, often giving talks and/or tours to student groups and mineral clubs and teaching. He played a major role in the conceptualization and design of NMNH’s Geology, Gems & Mineral Hall and its Cell Phone: Unseen Connections exhibition and often spearheads the creation of temporary display cases for the Tucson Gem & Mineral Show.

Mike plays a leading role in the management of the Smithsonian’s Gem and Mineral Collections, most notably, as part of the Mineral & Gem Acquisition Team responsible for finding and adding new specimens to the National Collections.