The geology collection
The museum’s geology collection consists of around 18,000 items. As early as 1778 is was documented in the minutes that the museum had collected ores and petrified materials. The geology collection is divided into minerals, rock types and fossils, as well as material from mines and expeditions.
Minerals
The mineral collection consists of about 4,800 systematically divided mineral items. The collection has minerals from Sweden and the rest of the world. A large number of the minerals come from Långban in Värmland - one of the most mineral-rich places in the world. A number of meteorites have been collected over the years and several of them are on display in the museum.
Rock types
The collection of rock types is divided into igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks. The total number is large but for the moment unknown. There are samples from different lava flows on Hawaii and Iceland, and ash from the volcanic eruption on Vesuvius. The collection also contains samples of rock types purchased from the Geological Survey of Sweden (SGU).
Fossils
The fossil section of the geological collection contains around 4,000 fossils from the Cambrian to the Quaternary periods. There are fossils here from the first fishes, petrified palm cones, plant fossils from missions such as the Swedish Polar Expedition 1901-1903, the winter expedition to Spetsbergen 1872-1873, fossils from Kinnekulle, Jämtland and Gotland.
Searchable material
A researcher can obtain a lot of information from a geological sample. The geological collection is stored in collection storage rooms with a classic, numbered drawer system, making the material searchable for researchers. Search for minerals, rock types and fossils in the geology catalogue
CONTACT FOR THE GEOLOGY COLLECTION
Åsa Holmberg, coordinator collection department
Phone: +46 (0)10-441 42 50 Mobile: +46 (0)737-58 89 25
E-mail: asa.holmberg@vgregion.se
