Students in the Mineralogical Museum
Mineralogical Museum
The University of Delaware’s Mineralogical Museum was founded by the 1964 gift of the mineral collection of Irénée du Pont, who was president of the Dupont company in the 1920s. Mr. du Pont purchased a large collection from Tiffany & Co. which was assembled by George Kunz, vice-president of the company. For approximately a decade, Mr. du Pont added to his collection, buying from George Kunz and from George English of Ward’s Natural Science Establishment. In addition to his love of natural crystals, du Pont’s appreciation of rarities, new finds and ore minerals reflected his background as an engineer. Some of the specimens in this collection can be traced back more than one hundred years to previous owners.
The Museum has grown to encompass specimens gifted or made possible by many generous donors. Because of our intimate space, we have chosen to focus on individual displays that illustrate mineralogical regions, concepts, or themes. The collection, which is displayed in a state-of-the-art facility, showcases worldwide minerals as well as regional specimens, gemstones and carvings.
Curator of the Mineralogical Museum
Penny Hall