Friends of Mineralogy, Inc. (FM), is a national, non-profit corporation founded in 1970, and includes seven chapters from coast to coast, whose members share a common love of minerals. FM’s mission is “to promote, support, protect, and expand the collecting of mineral specimens, while furthering the recognition of the scientific, economic, and aesthetic value of minerals and mineral collecting”. Our membership includes collectors, museum curators, mineralogists, researchers, professionals, artisanal miners and earth science educators. The organization is affiliated with Mindat.org, the Mineralogical Society of America (MSA), and the Mineralogical Association of Canada (MAC), The Young Mineral Collectors (YMC) and Minerals in Context (MIC). FM provides a bridge between the academic community and mineral enthusiast.
FM and its regional chapters sponsor symposiums, and collecting trips to quarries, mine dumps, and mines across the country. FM National co-sponsors symposiums held annually at the Tucson Gem & Mineral Show and contributes support and speakers to other mineral symposiums. FM National and its chapter symposia are pre-approved by most states requiring continuing education for Professional Geologists. FM National will begin running field trips again in 2026, and our 2026 symposium will be hybrid for the first time, allowing those who cannot attend in person to attend remotely.
FM presents annual awards for best article published in each of the following publications: The Mineralogical Record, Rocks & Minerals, Mineral News, and Mineral Monographs. FM also presents awards to the best institutional and individual educational exhibit cases displayed at the Denver and Tucson gem and mineral shows. FM lobbies to keep collecting sites/areas and museums open when proposals are made to close these valuable learning assets.
Please send tax-deductible donations to support Friends of Mineralogy, Inc., a non-profit 501(c)3 organization, in care of
William Besse, Treasurer
C/O Mineral Nexus
621 W. Lester Street
Tucson, AZ 85705
Checks should be made out to Friends of Mineralogy, Inc.