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MSA MEETING PROGRAM & PLACE
Franciscan Renewal Center, (Piper Hall),
June 18, 2026 @ 7.30 pm Arizona time
THE MYSTICAL CRYSTAL ROOM:
The Search for & Collection of Arizona Minerals
Presented by
DR. RAYMOND W. GRANT
JUNE
Mineral of the Month:
VANADINITE
(Okay to bring 1-2 examples)
* Please bring refreshments to share.
* MEETING will be (In-Person and Zoom).
Mineralogical Society of Arizona is pleased to welcome distinguished geologist, mineralogist, curator and author Dr. Raymond W. Grant for our June 18th program, “THE MYSTICAL CRYSTAL ROOM: The Search for & Collection of Arizona Minerals.”
In this presentation, Dr. Grant will explore the search for information on Arizona mineral localities and the process of locating and collecting minerals in the field. Written accounts of Arizona minerals date back to 1866, and over the years a remarkable number of mineral localities have been described. While many are well known to collectors, some intriguing sites remain elusive, offering inspiration for future field trips.
Arizona is home to thousands of mines, but which ones contain minerals truly worth collecting? Dr. Grant will examine that question while highlighting the excitement of discovery and the enduring possibility that there are still “mystical crystal rooms” waiting to be found in Arizona.
Mark your calendars for a program nearly 50 years in the making by an Arizona mineralogical legend!
Dr. Raymond Grant is the Founder and President of the Pinal Geology & Mineral Society 2014 and the Founding Curator and Director of the Pinal Geology & Mineral Museum 2015, both located in Coolidge, Arizona. Dr. Grant served as Mineralogical Society of Arizona President from 1976 to 1977 and again from 2012 to 2013. He currently serves on the MSA Board of Governors as Immediate Past President and is the longest serving past president (13 years) from 2014 to 2026.
Dr. Grant received his Ph.D. in Geology from Harvard University in 1968. He served as Professor of Geology at Mesa Community College from 1975 to 2001 full-time and from 2001 to 2006 part-time. He was inducted into the Mineralogical Society of Arizona Hall of Fame in 2014, is an MSA Milestone Life Member, is a past Chairman of the Flagg Mineral Foundation, and served as founding member and Co-Chairman of the Minerals of Arizona Symposium for 26 years.
He is the author of the first edition of Checklist of Arizona Minerals, published in 1982, and the second edition, published in 2007. He was co-author, with John Anthony, Sid Williams, and Dick Bideaux, of Mineralogy of Arizona, third edition, published in 1995, and lead author of the fourth edition, published in 2022, with Ron Gibbs, Harvey Jong, Jan Rasmussen, and Stan Keith.
In recognition of his many contributions to mineralogy, the mineral species Raygrantite was named in his honor. This mineral, Pb10Zn(SO4)6(SiO4)2(OH)2, was discovered at Evening Star Mine, Maricopa County, Arizona, and is documented on Mindat.org: http://www.mindat.org/min-43868.html
Vanadinite pocket and specimen from pocket,
Pure Potential Mine (North Geronimo Mine),
La Paz County, Arizona, USA.
Raymond Grant photo.
T-shirt for In Search of the Mystical Crystal Room, 1979.
Raymond Grant photo.
Mark your calendars! The Mineralogical Society of Arizona is honored and proud to welcome Dr. Grant for this very special program.
Thank you, Ray, for your extensive contributions to geology and mineralogy education, as well as for your long-standing membership in and support of the Mineralogical Society of Arizona.
Meeting starts at 7.30PM Arizona time.
