About Us

The Minnesota Mineral Club is a non-profit organization devoted to the study of Mineralogy, Geology, Paleontology and the Lapidary Arts. We are a social group that promotes rock, mineral, and fossil education. We are based in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota, although membership is not restricted to residents of Minnesota. Most monthly meetings, except auctions and our Annual Banquet, are open to everyone. The Minnesota Mineral Club is a member of the Midwest Federation and the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies.

Our Mission: To encourage interest and education in geology, mineralogy, lapidary and earth sciences.

Our Vision

To be the premier rock, mineral, and lapidary club of the Midwest region by:

  • Being the best resource for education of Earth Science based STEM, lapidary and minerals
  • Being the primary gathering point for people with interests in rocks, minerals and lapidary
  • Engaging and involving a diverse group of members
  • Promoting respect for Mother Earth
  • Supporting federation educational programs/scholarships
  • Establishing an effective outreach program to engage and educate

Our Values

Integrity – ethical behavior with honesty
Education – Earth Science, Minerals, Lapidary, Rock Hounding
Stewardship – Live by the Rockhound Code of Ethics
Inclusiveness – include all that have passion for our hobby

 Club Meetings

Club meetings are held at the Creekside Community Center which is located at 9801 Penn Avenue South, Bloomington, MN 55431. We meet monthly from September thru May. No meetings are held during the summer months of June, July and August.

What We Do

Education

Education, combined with fun, is a primary focus of our Club. We encourage kids of all ages (including adult kids–those who have retained their childhood wonder) to participate in all we have to offer.

Lapidary

Many of our members enjoy a variety of lapidary arts including cutting, shaping, polishing, drilling, wrapping, faceting rocks, minerals and gemstones. They are willing and eager to share their techniques and skills so that others may learn and enjoy.

Mineral Identification

Even experienced rockhounds sometimes have trouble identifying minerals. Our website has numerous tutorials and links to resources that are experts in mineral identification.

Information Sharing

All our meetings, events and field trips offer opportunities to meet and share ideas and information with those who share similar interests. In addition, our website is packed with instructional videos and links to a whole world of rock, mineral, fossil and earth sciences resources.

Outreach

We are often invited to speak with elementary and high school level science classes that are studying the earth and its makeup. Also, we participate with other organizations involved with geological education. Our Annual Show attracts thousands of families interested in learning more about the rocks and minerals that makeup our region and our planet.

Encouraging Youth Participation

We try as a Club to be as kid friendly as possible. We encourage parents to include their kids in our meetings and when we have events, such as our silent auctions, and contests, such as our ‘Find of the Year’ contest, we set up categories specifically for kids. Our Annual Show’s most popular feature is our ‘Kids’ Corner’ and many of our field trips are open to even young kids.

Silent Auctions

Each year we conduct at least one silent auction which gives members a chance to purchase a whole host of items related to our hobby. These include rough and finished rocks and minerals, jewelry, fossils, gemstones, books and magazines, tools and equipment and often, passes to museums or other interesting locations. Auction proceeds are used to help fund Club activities and earth science student scholarships.

Friendships

Discovering that one shares common interests with other people is a rewarding experience. Club members who participate in meetings, field trips, Club events and shows widen their circle of friends while increasing their knowledge and appreciation of all things earth-related.

AFMS

We are a member of the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies, a non-profit educational Federation of seven similar regional organizations.

Midwest Federation

We are a member of The Midwest Federation of Mineralogical and Geological Societies, which was organized in 1940, and one of the original four founders of the AFMS in 1947. It encompasses a region of 11 states and has about 150 different clubs.