Rutile sun, moonstone, star quartz and other earthly beauties

Dr. Josef Arnoth, mineralogist of Hungarian origin, living in Switzerland since 1956, donated several valuable collections to the Hungarian Natural History Museum in the last four years. Together with the recently sent 2,800 specimens he donated almost 5000 specimens to the Department of Mineralogy and Petrology, thus became the largest benefactor of the collection after Andor Semsey.

Almost a hundred fine specimens from the most recent donation of Dr. Arnoth, ranging from small cut gems to cabinet-size pieces, are presented in four showcases recessed into the wall of the main assembly hall of the HNHM. A nice volume from the few hundred books donated together with the specimens is exhibited on the bottom shelf of each display case. The valuable collection was transported to Budapest with the kind help of the Hungarian Embassy in Bern, Dr. Erzsébet Nagy (Ambassador), and Dr. András Orgoványi (Minister). The legal formulation of the donation agreement was a kind favour of Dr. Robert Sigl-Némethy, lawyer in Basel.