The Weber-Perloff

Micromount Collection

In January 2005, the Mineral Sciences Department received the combined micromount collections of Julius Weber and Louis Perloff. The collection, totaling well over 50,000 specimens, is easily the largest mineral collection ever acquired by the Museum and certainly ranks as one of the most significant.

A micromount consists of a specimen mounted in a box measuring approximately 1 x 1 x 3/4 inch. Sophisticated mineral micromounters, such as Julius Weber and Louis Perloff, carefully select specimens for their high-quality microscopic crystals, as well as for their rarity. The crystals, when viewed under magnification, are often more aesthetic than those on larger specimens, but even more significantly, their typically greater perfection makes them better for scientific research.

For more than 25 years, the Mineral Sciences Department has placed a high priority on building its micromount collection into a valuable research, teaching and reference resource. With the addition of this collection, the museum's micromount collection has grown to nearly 100,000 specimens, making it probably the largest of its kind in the world.

More information about Julius Weber and Louis Perloff and the significance of this collection can be found in the feature story in the February 2005 issue of Mineral News.

Micromount in the
Weber-Perloff Collection

Connellite crystals from Bisbee, Arizona
on micromount shown above. Longest
crystal is about 1 mm in length.