Pittsburg is a city full of amazing hidden gems but none are as majestic as those in Hillman Hall of Minerals and Gems at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. The lusciously black room houses free standing illuminated cabinets that display a massive aesthetic mineral collection, arguably the most impressive in the country. Simply put, there is a room in Pittsburg dedicated to exhibiting over 1,3000 magnificent rocks (from a collection of nearly 30,000!) and we can't understand why this isn't a destination on everyone's bucket list.
The gems and minerals are unlike any you've seen. While crystals and stones are increasingly popular for their "spiritual" properties, the rocks in the Hall are true magic. Representing every size, color, and shape imaginable, the minerals and gems are selected and displayed as pieces of art, chosen predominantly for their beauty; this allows the Hall to transform into a stunning gallery rather than a scientific geologic showing (which would be interesting in its own right but no where near as noteworthy!).
Undoubtably, the Hall will make you question our societal addiction to mundane diamonds rather than these exotic and mesmerizing stones and you might start fantasizing about how you would incorporate the Carnegie collection into your wardrobe should your lifestyle ever require a collection of weighty minerals and gems. Then, upon leaving Hillman Hall, you will find yourself in the Wertz Gallery of Gems and Jewels where you can see the actualized utilization of these stones in the form of luminous cut jewels and finalized pieces of jewelry. However, we preferred the rocks in their raw unadulterated forms which is a testament to how remarkably and successfully aesthetic the collection is.
If you are ever in Pittsburg you would be remiss to leave without a peak into this glorious room. It will undoubtably be an unforgettable museum experience!
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