Discovery club: Geology detectives | November

Crystals and minerals

Discover the hidden geometry of the Earth.

Step into the colourful world of crystals and minerals. Participants will investigate why crystals sparkle, why minerals form different shapes and how simple clues such as colour, transparency and shine can help tell specimens apart. Real crystals, magnifiers and easy matching challenges make this a highly visual session with plenty to discover.

What will participants do?

• Examine real crystals and minerals using magnifiers.
• Compare crystal shape, colour, transparency, texture and shine.
• Explore the different ways minerals can look shiny, glassy or dull.
• Compare real specimens with simple crystal-shape cards or 3D-printed forms.
• Solve a Mystery Mineral challenge using an easy visual guide.
• Choose a small mineral or crystal specimen to take home with a collector card.

Age: 10 to 12 years.
Duration: Approximately 75 to 90 minutes.
Capacity: Maximum 16 participants.
Experience required: None.
Materials: All equipment and materials are provided.