The Hutching’s Museum incorporates a collection of rocks and minerals. This exhibit gives a quick insight into what is included at the museum. Showcased here are several interesting formations of iron, geodes, agates, obsidian, quartz, cave formations, and a few others.
Iridescent Iron
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.
Iridescent Iron Iridescent Iron Close upHutchings Museum Institute
Limonite iridescent iron Limonite iridescent ironHutchings Museum Institute
Limonite iridescent iron Medium Close upHutchings Museum Institute
Geodes
Geodes are both sedimentary and igneous rocks.
Geode (2) Geode (2) (1956) by Hutching's MuseumHutchings Museum Institute
What is a Geode?
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.
How are Geodes formed?
"Geodes begin as bubbles in volcanic rock, and over time the outer shell hardens and water containing silica precipitation forms on the inside walls. The silica precipitation contains a variety of dissolved minerals, but the most common is quartz. Over a period of thousands of years, layers of silica cool to form beautiful crystals." This Artifact is displayed in the Hutching's Museum.
Dry Head Carnelian Agate Geode Dry Head Carnelian Agate Geode (1956) by Hutching's MuseumHutchings Museum Institute
Dry Head Carnelian Agate Geode Dry Head Carnelian Agate Geode Close up more on the leftHutchings Museum Institute
Nodule
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.
Agate (3 pieces) Agate (3 pieces) Full View (part three)Hutchings Museum Institute
Agate (3 pieces) Agate (3 pieces) Close up (part three)Hutchings Museum Institute
Timpanogos Cave Formations
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.
Timpanogos Cave Formations
"The assessment work, however, was never finished, and the cave became federal land, later becoming part of the National Park system. The formations you see [in this online exhibit] were removed from the cave in the early 1900s, and represent some of the only samples accessible to the public outside the cave." This artifact is displayed in the Hutching's Museum.
Cave Ice
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.
Obsidian
Obsidian is an igneous and glass-like rock that is created from volcanic lava domes. It is known for breaking easily, which made it a great resource for ancient peoples to create various tools. Obsidian glass is oddly shaped and colors can vary. This artifact is displayed in the Hutching's Museum.
Obsidian Obsidian (1956) by Hutching's MuseumHutchings Museum Institute
Snowflake Obsidian Snowflake Obsidian (1956) by Hutching's MuseumHutchings Museum Institute
Dendrite
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.
Dendrite Dendrite Close upHutchings Museum Institute
Pyrite
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.
Pyrite
"Pyrite has no real useful value except as a specimen. It is found when mining for gold and copper. It is [called] "fools gold" due to uninformed miners." This was found in the Lark Mine of Lark, Utah. This artifact is displayed in the Hutching's Museum.
Quartz
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.
Dogtooth Calcite over Calcite and Quartz
Calcite is a carbonate, which means that it fizzes when exposed to dilute or "watered-down" acids. Quartz is one of Earth's basic minerals that has crystal forms in both pyramidal and hexagonal shapes and is harder than Calcite. Quartz and calcite can be found in rock veins and calcite also be found in various cavities. This artifact is displayed in the Hutching's Museum.
Fluorite
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.
Fluorite Fluorite Close upHutchings Museum Institute
Cinnabar
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.
The artifacts featured in this exhibit come from the Hutching's Museum Rocks and Minerals Collection.
Created by Hutching's Museum Staff Curators
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