Gems and minerals are found right here in San Diego County. From the desert to the mountains and all the way to the coast, hidden mines can yield valuable treasures. Even on the bare ground you can find sparkly stones. The Nat’s gems and minerals have been stored in the Museum’s collection for decades, but a brand new exhibition opening this November will bring them back to light.
The Museum maintains an extensive collection of minerals from Southern California, as well as a synoptic collection of minerals from around the world, including 26,000 catalogued specimens of minerals, meteorites, and precious gems. Of particular interest is the collection of valuable minerals found in pegmatite deposits in San Diego County, including extensive tourmaline deposits.
Picture a mass of hot molten magma spreading below the Earth’s surface. As it cools slowly into solid rock, steam concentrates into trapped pockets that cool slowly over millennia. Geologists know these pockets are where to find amazing minerals such as tourmaline, topaz, and beryl, as well as common ones like quartz, and mica. More.
Are rocks and minerals the same thing? What is a meteorite? How about geodes? So many questions! Earth’s crust is made up of rocks that are changing all the time. More.
Of course! This is California, after all. Yes, gold deposits are here San Diego County, and have been mined as far back as 1869. Most mines here are now too dangerous to enter and are closed permanently, but you can still look for gold in a few places such as in Julian and Pala. More.
The complex geologic history of our region makes San Diego County mineral-rich and its terrain incredibly diverse. Plate tectonics and earthquakes play a big part in that story. More.
Vito na madini hupatikana hapa katika Kaunti ya San Diego. Kutoka jangwani hadi milimani na hadi pwani, migodi iliyofichwa yaweza kutoa hazina zenye thamani. Hata kwenye ardhi tupu unaweza kupata mawe yenye kung'aa. Vito na madini ya asili yamekuwa yakifichwa katika mkusanyiko wa Jumba la Makumbusho kwa miongo mingi, lakini maonyesho mapya ya Novemba yatazirudisha kwenye mwanga. Makumbusho ya San Francisco ina mkusanyiko mkubwa wa madini kutoka California Kusini, pamoja na mkusanyiko wa madini kutoka ulimwenguni kote, pamoja na sampuli 26,000 zilizotajwa za madini, meteoriti, na vito vya thamani. Jambo lenye kupendeza hasa ni mkusanyiko wa madini yenye thamani yaliyopatikana katika madini ya pegmatite katika Kaunti ya San Diego, kutia ndani madini mengi ya tourmaline. Fikiria umati wa magma moto iliyomwagika ikitawanyika chini ya uso wa Dunia. Inapopungua polepole na kuwa mwamba imara, mvuke hukusanyika katika mifuko iliyofungwa ambayo hupungua polepole kwa maelfu ya miaka. Wataalamu wa jiolojia wanajua kwamba katika maeneo hayo kuna madini ya ajabu kama vile tourmaline, topaz, na beryl, na pia madini ya kawaida kama vile quartz, na mica. Zaidi ya hayo. Je, miamba na madini ni kitu kimoja? Mlipuko wa nyota ni nini? Vipi kuhusu geodes? Maswali mengi sana! Tabaka la dunia limefanyizwa na miamba inayobadilika-badilika daima. Zaidi ya hayo. Bila shaka unaweza! Hii ni California, baada ya yote. Dhahabu ya dhahabu ilichimbwa katika eneo la San Diego County mnamo 1869. Migodi mingi hapa sasa ni hatari sana kuingia na imefungwa kabisa, lakini bado unaweza kutafuta dhahabu katika maeneo machache kama vile Julian na Pala. Zaidi ya hayo. Historia tata ya kijiolojia ya mkoa wetu hufanya Kaunti ya San Diego kuwa tajiri kwa madini na eneo lake kuwa na utofauti mkubwa. Tektoniki ya mabamba na matetemeko ya ardhi yana sehemu kubwa katika hadithi hiyo. Zaidi ya hayo.