California isn’t just the golden state, we’re also a great place to find gemstones. NHM’s curator of mineralogy Dr. Aaron Celestian shows us around the gem vault and behind the scenes of our mineral exhibits to learn about California’s gems and reveal how gold nuggets are formed. He also reveals some tips about where to find gold nuggets, so take note! NHM has one of the world’s best gem and mineral halls, with lots of California gems and gold on exhibit.

Correction: Not the largest in the world, but the largest in our collection, weighing 8.4 lbs!