College of Education & Human Services

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The Rock & Mineral Room

The Science Education Center houses thousands of rock and mineral samples in what is known as "The Rock & Mineral Room." The entire collection can be viewed by clicking on each of the virtual drawers below the room overview pictures. Each link will show a particular set of specimens and include its scientific name. Note: Each sample is numbered according to a system of identification, so the visible numbers labeled on some of the samples will denote its scientific name. Use the navigation TAB or the BACK button to return to the list of 24 drawers. Or click on the text below each picture to advance to the next drawer. Be sure to also check out the Rock & Mineral KITS collection!

Click here to view the Illinois ROCKS AND MINERALS poster on the wall that is from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. 

Rock room

Drawer #1

APATITE (#1), COPPER ORE (#57), LIMONITE (#33), TALC (#36-GREY, #16-PINK & #7-WHITE)

Drawer #2

BARITE (#35), GYPSUM (#27-MASSIVE, #25-SATIN SPAR, #26-SELENITE), MALACHITE (#37), ORTHOCLASE (#17), QUARTZ (#22-MILKY) 

Drawer #3

GRAPHITE (#18), HALITE (#10), JASPER (#43), KAOLINITE CLAY (#32)

Drawer #4

AMAZONITE FELDSPAR (#51), FELDSPAR (#39), GALENA (#6), OLIGOCLASE (#45), SULFUR (#47), TOURMALINE (#69)

Drawer #5

BAUXITE (#34), CHALCOCITE (#58), CHALCOPYRITE (#2), IRON PYRITE (#5), PLAGIOCLASE (#40), QUARTZ-ROSE (#20), SERPENTINE (#24)

Drawer #6

BIOTITE (#8), FLUORITE-[GREEN, YELLOW, INDIGO, PURPLE] (#4), HORNBLENDE-CLEAVABLE (#31), QUARTZ-SMOKEY (#23), SPHALERITE-ROCKY (#13)

Drawer #7

AZURITE (#19), CHERT (#55), HEMATITE-BANDED WITH JASPER (#38), MAGNATITE (#15), MUSCOVITE (#41), QUARTZ-MILKY (#22)

Drawer #8

CALCITE (#9), HEMATITE BANDED WITH JASPER (#38), HEMATITE-RED (#30), HEMATITE-SPECTATULAR (#29), OLIVINE (#11)

Drawer #9

QUARTZ (#21), QUARTZ-FLINT (#50), QUARTZ-CHALCEDONY (#49), AGATE (left box) & AGATE-POLISHED (round dish)

Drawer #10 (IGNEOUS ROCKS)

BASALT (I-4), BASALT-OLIVINE (I-5), BASALT-VESICULAR (I-3), BRECCIA (I-16), OBSIDIAN-BLACK (I-1), TUFF-GREY (I-17)

Drawer #11 (IGNEOUS ROCKS)

BRECCIA (I-16), DIKE ROCK (I-13), GABBRO (I-11 & round dish), GRANITE (I-12), GRANITE-PORPHYRY (I-14), OBSIDIAN-SNOWFLAKE (I-19), RED SCORIA (I-10), BASALT (rectangular box)

Drawer #12 (IGNEOUS ROCKS)

ANDESITE (I-18), PUMICE (I-3), OBSIDIAN-RED (#I-2), RHYOLITE (I-8)

Drawer #13 (METAMORPHIC ROCKS)

DOLOMITE (M-8), GNEISS (M-1), MARBLE-PINK (M-3), MARBLE-WHITE (M-4), QUARTZITE (M-6), SLATE-BLACK-GREY-RED (M-5) 

Drawer #14 (METAMORPHIC [M] & SEDIMENTARY [S] ROCKS)

AMPHIBOLITE (M-10), GREENSCHIST (M-7), HORNFEL (M-11), MICA SCHIST (M-2), CHERT BRECCIA (S-5), CONGLOMERATE (S-9), COAL (S-1), GEODE (S-8), OIL SHALE (S-10), CHLORITE SCHIST (round dish)

Drawer #15 (SEDIMENTARY ROCKS)

COAL (S-1), MUDSTONE (S-2), SANDSTONE (S-4), SANDSTONE-GREYWACKE (S-3), SHALE (S-11), SILTSTONE (S-6)

Drawer #16 (SEDIMENTARY ROCKS)

LIMESTONE (S-7), MUDSTONE (S-2), FLUORSPAR, MICROCLINE-PINK, TACONITE, POTASH, ANTHRACITE, BITUMINOUS, LIGNITE, PERMINAN AGE ROCK SALT

Drawer #17

Various FOSSIL Samples

Drawer #18

Large SANDSTONE pieces

Drawer #19

Large and small  FOSSIL pieces

Drawer #20

PETRIFIED WOOD, AMBER, OLDEST DATED ROCK, TRILOBITE, METEORITE

Drawer #21

Various FOSSIL pieces

Drawer #22

Large FOSSIL pieces

Drawer #23

Large SANDSTONE pieces & various small FOSSIL pieces 

Drawer #24

Various FOSSIL &  PETRIFIED WOOD pieces

Rock & Mineral KITS

Rock and Mineral kits offer individuals the opportunity to study a variety of specimens in a simplified, boxed format. The entire collection can be viewed by clicking the link above.