The Hart Museum remains closed. Los Angeles County has approved a plan to transfer the William S. Hart Museum and Park from the County to the City of Santa Clarita.

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Aaron Celestian holding a reddish-brown stone with stripes of greenish iridescent stripes next to a closeup of the stone

On View: A Rare Australian Opal in NHM’s Gem and Mineral Hall

Meet a new dazzling black opal and discover the science behind the sparkle with Dr. Aaron Celestian

Jonker header on black bg

The Jonker Diamond: A Giant Gem of Many Facets

Explore the human and natural history of the Jonker I Diamond

L. atlantica 2 SEM image

Small Wonders

NHM’s new Scanning Electron Microscope Lab connects guests with big science and tiny specimens.

An opaque white and transparent mineral with many spiky outgrowths.

The Secret Power of Zeolite

Our Curator of Mineral Sciences, Aaron Celestian, talks about why this mineral blows his mind!

Cave of swords

Gypsum Crystals: Mineral Ships for Alien Life?

Can gypsum crystals hold alien life from Mars? Explore every facet of these incredible crystals with our Mineral Sciences Curator Aaron Celestian.

The Pink Starburst. Pink diamond.

Fascinating Facets: The Pink Starburst Diamond

The dazzling science behind this precious gem