Geosciences Department Mineral Collection
The Department of Geosciences maintains a reference and research mineral collection. Many samples were purchased early in the history of the Department and others have been donated over the years by faculty, students, and staff. The collection has been greatly augmented by two special donations, one from Mel and Charlotte Belsky (the Belsky Collection) in honor of their son Howard (MS 1982) and the other – mainly of African minerals - by Dorothy Siegel. Those special collections are catalogued with the others but are stored separately.
The samples are labeled (more or less in sequence of acquisition) under the following scheme:
100000- Elements
110000- Sulfides
120000- Oxides
130000- Carbonates, halides
140000- Sulfates, phosphates
150000- Tektosilicates
160000- Phyllosilicates
170000- Inosilicates
180000- Cyclosilicates, sorosilicates
190000- Nesosilicates (orthosilicates)
These samples are available to members of the Department of Geosciences and Mineral Physics Institute. Other requests for access to samples will be considered on a case by case basis. Please contact Owen Evans (owen.evans@stonybrook.edu) or Don Lindsley (Donald.lindsley@stonybrook.edu) for assistance and a full explanation of the conditions of use.