FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[Fiebre Verde]

Last week, I decided to take a weekend break in search for some winter sunshine and ended up visiting the Eastward Look show in Beirut - namely the MIM museum.
I had already visited the MIM twice and wanted to see what Salim Eddé had added to his collection over the past 2 years.
I was not disappointed - I confirm that Salim has been quite active adding more fabulous specimens to his already exceptional collection. Some display cases have been reshuffled in the process but the cherry on the cake is the Lebanese fossils exhibition which provides a theatrical experience rather like a sound and light show.

[Fiebre Verde]

The visit is not over yet...

[Kevin Schofield]

[Fiebre Verde]

And the last set... but not the last trip!

[Fiebre Verde]

[Kevin Schofield]

[Pierre Joubert]

If I ever get to visit this splendid museum, I will have to stay for a week or 2 to take it all in. It must be an overwhelming experience. Thanks to all who have shared their visits.

[James Catmur]

Corrected

[Fiebre Verde]

[Philippe Durand]

thank you a lot for sharing these photos of such treasures.

[Fiebre Verde]

[Fiebre Verde]

There were more pictures left in my camera.
And, oh yes, if you plan to take photos in the MIM, bring a wide angle lens. Could be useful!

[minsur]

A small, small world...

Last Friday, while helping out at my friend's little mineral and jewellery shop for a couple of hours, a customer selected a small and inexpensive, but nevertheless very fine local specimen and asked a few questions about it. So we started talking a bit, unfortunately in English, where I am not too good :-(
As far as I understood, it was one of his first mineral purchases, if not the first ever! Therefore I was even more impressed by his excellent taste.

And now guess where the guy was from - BEIRUT!!!
I asked him immediately, whether he had already visited the MIM Museum and expressed my deep regret, that one of the world's very finest mineral collections is so far away - at least for me.

He had not even heard of it - unbelievable!

I am quite confident, MIM will have quite soon a new visitor ;-))

[Fiebre Verde]

Jordi is right, as almost always...

[silvia]

I absolutely love the mineral collection at MIM. Salim Edde is a first-rate gentleman.

My partner was very touched by Salim’s genuine interest in his scientific collections – related to minerals – but more about the contents of minerals themselves. I am speaking of course about the chemical elements – the building block of minerals. Salim was most interested in element displays that are just not seen anywhere in any Museum anywhere in the world. These cannot be bought and each is a true work of art by its creator - my partner.

The problem my partner sees about the display of the chemical elements in many scientific institutions is the generic manner in which the elements are presented. They are always presented in the standard periodic table format, which is just the Chemists’ version of the periodic table. A Physicist would display the elements perhaps in terms of Quantum mechanics taking into account spin and orbital angular momentum quantum numbers. Both display formats do not create the visual impact that is needed in a Museum setting.

Some of the highlights of my partner’s collection is a 250 ml sample of elemental Bromine (99.99%) sealed under vacuum in a borosilicate glass flask. It looks like blood – and the visual impact is outstanding. Some other highlights include a full set of the Rare Earth Elements. The set contains a 1 kilogram sample of Europium.
Another highlight is a 12 troy ounce rod of 99.9% Rhodium. Luckily the rod was purchased when the price of Rhodium was slightly less than that of Gold. There are many more highlights too.

You can buy sets of the chemical elements from some suppliers but these sets lack true artistic flair. There is one company that installs standard periodic table but it would be cheaper to hire a good (local) cabinet maker and put the samples in the pigeon holes yourself. True artistic flair guided by science is rare.

Unfortunately many mineral collectors have little interest in collecting the chemical elements, perhaps for the reasons I have given. I hope Salim will deviate from this path.

[Fiebre Verde]

One of my favorite specimens of the MIM is this Colombian euclase.
I just can't stop staring at it.
This photo taken during a recent visit doesn't do any justice to the beauty of this crystal.
There is a larger euclase crystal in the same room but no as impressive as this one.