8,000-pound slab of quartz crystals from Arkansas displayed at Smithsonian

A 8,000 pound Quartz crystal found in the Quachita Mountains was displayed in the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. (Courtesy of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History)
A 8,000 pound Quartz crystal found in the Quachita Mountains was displayed in the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. (Courtesy of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History)

A 7-foot-tall, 8,000-pound slab of quartz crystals found in the Ouachita Mountains was unveiled last week at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.

The crystals, discovered at the Coleman Mine in 2016, is among the largest quartz specimens on display in an American museum, according to a news release from the Washington, D.C.-based museum. The crystals was named the ‘Berns Quartz’ in honor of Michael and Tricia Berns, whose support brought the specimen into the museum.

“The specimen’s research value is significant, but its dramatic appearance makes it one of the most striking visual experiences in the museum,” said Kirk Johnson, Sant director of the museum, in the release.

The museum noted that in its natural form, quartz is the second most common mineral in Earth’s crust and is the third most well known gem behind amethyst and citrine. In synthetic form, the release states, quartz is a key ingredient in watches, electronics and other electronics.

“A cluster of clear quartz crystals of this size and quality is extraordinarily rare,” Jeffrey Post, museum mineralogist and curator-in-charge of gems and minerals, said in the release.

Visitors can find the crystals in the front gallery, next to the museum’s historic north entrance.

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