Workshop on Identifying Stone in Objects Conservation Lab

August 16, 2010, Dr. Jean DeMouthe, Senior Collections Manager for Geology from the California Academy of Sciences visited the Objects Conservation lab for a refresher course on stone identification. She brought with her a cabinet full of rock and mineral specimens that we examined in the objects lab. Dr. DeMouthe taught us about the properties of various mineral groups, the differences between igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks, and the concerns facing stone objects in museum collections. Dr. DeMouthe and FAMSF Objects Conservator Lesley Bone discussed various stone objects from Papua New Guinea in an effort to accurately identify materials for an upcoming publication.