New Mexico Mineral Symposium — Abstracts

Two trips to Russia in 1996 have given the speaker many opportunities to visit museums, view collections, and experience the adventure of visiting Russia.

This slide talk will describe some of the events surrounding these visits while visiting such famous museums as the Hermitage, the Fersmann Museum, the Diamond Fund, the Winter Palace, and more. Emphasis will be placed on the impressive use made by Russian artisans of the colorful massive gem materials available from the Ural Mountains and Siberia. Comments on the discovery of charoite and the gem now called Siberian emerald (chrome diopside) will be made along with comments on the well-known gems: emerald, amethyst, and the like.