Rocks of the Earth

Minerals (natural crystals) are a hugely important raw material for humankind. We come across minerals or products derived from them in virtually all aspects of everyday life. And that doesn’t just apply to Stone Age axes and the like – cars, computers, buildings and bridges are all made from mineral-based materials too. Hence why a large part of the exhibition is dedicated to mineralogy, with a particular focus on mineral discoveries from the Swiss Alps. These examples of quartz (also known as rock crystal) span several centuries – from a find on the Vordere Zinggenstock mountain in 1719 and the black crystals (morion quartz) discovered in the Tiefen Glacier in 1868 to the giant crystals found in the Planggenstock mountain. A cross-section of Alpine mineralogy is on show in a series of display cases, in which exquisite rarities feature alongside more common varieties of rock crystals. 

The museum also specialises in the extraterrestrial – in this case, meteorites. Among the items on show are findings from Oman, where researchers from the museum managed to track down the first freshly fallen meteorites in 2023.