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 Introduction
The Field Museum’s newly renovated Grainger Hall of Gems takes a unique approach to understanding the natural history of precious stones. For a greater understanding of their relationships, all the gems are arranged according to type—from organic gems such as amber, coral, and pearls, to elementals made from one type of atom, such as diamonds (pure carbon).
You’ll discover how stones that sometimes appear identical, like garnets and spinels, can come from completely different chemical families. And you’ll be surprised to learn that gems that bear no resemblance to one another, like rubies and sapphires, can actually be siblings made of the same material (corundum).
 Each display features a gem in its three stages of transformation: as a raw crystal, as a cut and polished stone, and as a jewel mounted in a finished ring, brooch, or necklace. You’ll also view gems notable for their size or rarity, including a 341-carat aquamarine and a 97.45-carat Imperial Topaz—the rarest type of topaz and the largest owned by any Museum in the world!
Explore our online Gallery of Gems, and you’ll discover why gemstones have captured our hearts and inspired cultures around the world for millennia.
Continue to What is a Gem? >>
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