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David Yurman Unveils Quartz Exhibition at AMNH
The Yurman Family Crystalline Pass is inside the museum’s brand-new Richard Gilder Center.
The Yurman Family Crystalline Pass is a 19-foot stretch of transparent quartz crystals in the corridor connecting the museum’s Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals and the new Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation.
New York—The David Yurman family has announced the opening of a new exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH).
Found in the corridor connecting the museum’s Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals and the new Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation, the Yurman Family Crystalline Pass is a 19-foot stretch of 4,000 pounds of transparent quartz crystals.
The exhibit is a recreation of a section of a 70-foot vein of naturally occurring transparent quartz crystals, known as the Vortex Vein, found within the Avant Mine in Blue Springs, Arkansas.
The mine is famous for producing what many experts consider the finest clear quartz crystal in the world. David Yurman has used this quartz in its jewelry for years.
“It’s one of the most extraordinary outcroppings of crystal in the world,” said David Yurman.
When construction began for the Gilder Center, AMNH curator George Harlow was in touch with James Zigras, who owns the mine. Zigras showed Harlow images of the mine and the vein of quartz crystals, and it sparked the initial idea for the crystalline pass.
“When I saw the expanse of the crystal vein at the Vortex mine, I thought ‘if we could recreate this, it would be dramatic, beautiful, and informative about geology,’” said Dr. George Harlow, curator emeritus in AMNH’s Department of Earth and Planetary Science.
“The idea is to both show something that is fantastic, and to educate people about what it represents.”
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Found in the corridor connecting the museum’s Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals and the new Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation, the Yurman Family Crystalline Pass is a 19-foot stretch of 4,000 pounds of transparent quartz crystals.
The exhibit is a recreation of a section of a 70-foot vein of naturally occurring transparent quartz crystals, known as the Vortex Vein, found within the Avant Mine in Blue Springs, Arkansas.
The mine is famous for producing what many experts consider the finest clear quartz crystal in the world. David Yurman has used this quartz in its jewelry for years.
“It’s one of the most extraordinary outcroppings of crystal in the world,” said David Yurman.
When construction began for the Gilder Center, AMNH curator George Harlow was in touch with James Zigras, who owns the mine. Zigras showed Harlow images of the mine and the vein of quartz crystals, and it sparked the initial idea for the crystalline pass.
“When I saw the expanse of the crystal vein at the Vortex mine, I thought ‘if we could recreate this, it would be dramatic, beautiful, and informative about geology,’” said Dr. George Harlow, curator emeritus in AMNH’s Department of Earth and Planetary Science.
“The idea is to both show something that is fantastic, and to educate people about what it represents.”
The Yurman family maintains a longstanding devotion to the arts and innovation, the jewelry company said, and have worked with AMNH before.
Previously, the family made donations to the Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals that included some rare and precious stones, including opals and amethysts from President and Chief Creative Officer Evan Yurman’s personal collection. The son of founders David and Sybil was promoted in 2021.
“When construction began for the new Gilder Center, we discussed expanding our partnership into something more permanent and awe-inspiring for visitors,” Evan said. “We were fortunate to visit the mine during the crystals’ excavation and to work closely with the museum over many years to bring this project to life.”
David Yurman views a shelf of crystals at the Avant Mine. Ahead of the installation of the new exhibit at AMNH supported by David Yurman, the founding family visited the Avant Mine in Blue Springs, Arkansas, in which lies the Vortex Vein — the inspiration for the new 19-foot Yurman Family Crystalline Pass.
Company founder David Yurman stands near the Avant Mine. He has previously incorporated quartz crystals from the mine in his jewelry.
Company president Evan Yurman holds an extraction from the Avant Mine during the executives’ trip to Blue Springs, Arkansas.
Evan Yurman holds a cleaned quartz crystal extracted from the Avant Mine.
Supporting the creation of this exhibit was also an opportunity for the company to educate museum visitors about gemstones’ natural formation and to give back to New York City, the city that has served as David Yurman’s inspiration for nearly 50 years.
“The response has been tremendously positive and eye-opening for visitors. It’s a unique experience to see the recreation of a natural wonder like this, and to better understand the natural origins of the stones that inspire our designs,” said Evan. “We’re pleased to share our love of art, nature, and gemstones with visitors from New York and around the world.”
Sybil Yurman added, “As you’ll see in our collections, so much of what we do is all about the beauty of the earth, what comes to us naturally—every stone. We hope that everyone who sees the crystalline pass feels as inspired as we do by nature’s infinite possibilities.”
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