The display includes several types of minerals that were donated to Sierra College. The minerals are arranged according to their chemical composition.
Atoms that make up minerals are arranged in very regular three-dimensional patterns, and often occur in beautiful geometric crystals that reflect the internal structure. You see minerals every day in the form of rocks, which are usually mineral combinations.
Quartz is one of the most common rocks of the Sierra Nevadas, and can often be found near rivers. In the gold rush days, finding large quartz deposits was considered lucky, because gold veins were sometimes housed within.