Rocks & Minerals
Monthly Archive: December Rock
CANADA 150 - Nova Scotia – Amos Pewter
Mahone Bay is a beautiful town just south of Halifax, on the eastern shore of Nova Scotia. I stopped there on a holiday with my family this summer, and was charmed by the sheltered harbour, the tall trees, and the lovely shops. It was a perfect place to stretch our legs and eat some ice cream. When we were there, I noticed that we drove by Amos Pewter, and smiled at the memory of a Christmas ornament made of pewter that I once received as a gift from a dear friend.
CANADA 150 - Newfoundland and Labrador - Michael Massie Teapot
My second object from Newfoundland and Labrador is a contemporary piece by silversmith Michael Massie. It is a teapot, mimicking the shape of an ulu knife, with etched designs on the silver body of the pot. The handle is made of bloodwood. Massie is a contemporary Canadian artist who was born in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Labrador, in 1962. He currently lives on the island portion of the province with his family.
CANADA 150 – What We Make and What We’re Made Of
Hi! I'm Heather Read, the Rebanks Postdoctoral Fellow in Canadian Decorative Arts. In honour of Canada’s 150th anniversary of Confederation, I’ll be writing a blog series this year highlighting interesting objects from the Canadian Decorative Arts Collection at the Royal Ontario Museum. With this series, I’ll be talking about some of the furniture, pottery, and glass that are currently on exhibition at the ROM, but I’ll also give you a peek behind the scenes into the parts of this collection that aren’t currently on display.
Earth's Archives: Every Rock Tells a Story Part 1
Hermatite
By: Ian Nicklin
Hematite is a common ore of iron that was extensively mined in northern England in the 19th century. The miners referrred to globular aggregates of hematite, such as this, as "kidney-ore" since it reminded them of the organ. We call this shape "reniform," which means the same thing: kidney-shaped.
Gem of the Month: Canadian Diamonds
Posting by Brendt Hyde, Mineralogy Technician
The discovery of diamonds in the 1990’s marked a beginning for Canada’s first diamond mine, the Ekati Diamond Mine, located in the Northwest Territories. It also marked the beginning of the, still relatively young, diamond mining industry in Canada.
Digging Through the Vaults: Rediscovery and Rehabilitation
Collector's ring with a large convex amethyst gem engraved with an image of Nike. Height: 2.2 cm Accession number: 925.83.6
Diamonds, Design and Science… something for everyone.
Meteorite of the month: Springwater pallasite
The world's largest specimen of the Springwater pallasite meteorite.
This is the first blog in a new series, Meteorite of the Month, that will feature meteorite specimens from the museums outstanding collection. We will also be putting up a Mineral and a Gem each month so there’s something for everybody.
Mineral of the month: serandite
World's largest twinned serandite crystal.
This is the first entry in a new series the Earth Sciences section will be running, Mineral of the Month. These blogs will feature remarkable (and perhaps some not quite so remarkable but interesting none the less) specimens from the museum’s world class mineral collection. We will also be featuring monthly meteorites and gems so there will be something for everyone to enjoy.
Meteorite or “Meteor-wrong”?
ROM Earth Scientists receive dozens of requests each year to identify possible meteorites. This is especially the case when there is a spectacular fireball similar to the one which recently streaked across southern Ontario on December 12 of this year (the video was captured by astronomers at the University of Western Ontario). Do you think you have found a space rock?
