Rocks and Minerals

Iridescent Iron is a mineral found in the Iron Blossom Mine of Knightsville, UT. The iridescence provides rainbow-like qualities in iron. This artifact is displayed in the Hutching's Museum.

Geodes are both sedimentary and igneous rocks.

A description is offered at the Rocks and Minerals exhibit at the Hutching's Museum.  "The term "geode" comes from the Greek word "geoides," which means "earth-like". A geode is a round rock that contains a hollow cavity lined with crystals."  This artifact is displayed in the Hutching's Museum.

Agates are found in volcanic rock cavities, rock types and also in river deposits. They are known for the bands and concentric shapes. Many are used for decoration like in jewelry.  They are igneous and sometimes sedimentary rocks that come in a variety of colors.  This artifact is displayed in the Hutching's Museum.

The Cave Formations display offers some insight into these: "Timpanogos Cave National Monument was initially discovered in 1887, and is comprised of three different caves: Hansen, Timpanogos, and Middle caves. John Hutchings was reportedly a part owner of Timpanogos Cave, and intended to begin a mining operation around 1916."   This Artifact is displayed in the Hutching's Museum.

These cave formations were found by John Hutchings up at the Timpanogos Cave of American Fork Canyon, Utah. This mineral deposit is displayed in the Hutching's Museum.

This Dendrite is both igneous and metamorphic.  It is sometimes mistaken to be a plant fossil, when it really has been created when manganese minerals in water flows through cracks in rocks. This Dendrite was found in Delta, Utah and is an artifact displayed in the Hutching's Museum.

A couple of exhibit displays in the Hutching's Museum, offers some information pertaining Pyrite.                                                              "Pyrite is the classic "Fools Gold." It is common in the earth's crust that it's found in almost every environment. Pyrite and marcasite have the same chemistry but a different structure. Pyrite is difficult to distinguish from marcasite because of this. It is much harder than Gold."  Pyrite is found in the Telegraph Mine of Bingham, Utah and can be either igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary. This artifact is displayed in the Hutching's Museum.

Quartz is one of Earth's basic minerals that has crystal form in both pyramidal and hexagonal shapes, with colors like clear or grey and can be found in rock veins.  This mineral is found in rocks that are sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic. This artifact is displayed in the Hutching's Museum.

Fluorite is a mineral found in igneous rocks and has either transparent or translucent crystals that are colorful. Some colors include pink, green, blue and purple. The crystal shapes on this mineral are cubic or octahedral. Fluorite is well-known for the fluorescence, or light it gives off when it is beneath an ultra-violet light. It can be found in cavities and hydrothermal veins. This particular piece of Fluorite was found in Illinois and is displayed in the Hutching's Museum.

The mineral Cinnabar, is the principle ore of mercury. A prospector looking for gold discovered a vein of cinnabar. He named his claim by his word for mercury, Mercur (now mining ghost town in Tooele County, Utah).  This artifact is displayed in the Hutching's Museum.