Storage and conservation of geological collections—a research agenda

Abstract

Despite centuries of research on pyrite decay there is a dearth of knowledge in subjects that would help museums improve the effectiveness of their care of geological collections, including characterisation and categorisation of damage to mineral specimens, methodologies for objective routine condition assessment, the definition of adequate storage environments, and successful conservation treatments. There is now sufficient evidence to dispel the myth that geological collections are inherently stable and require fewer resources to preserve them than other areas of museum collections. In fact, a proportion of geological specimens demand a level of attention and maintenance comparable with that necessary for the care of archaeological metal collections, and similar environmental and pollution- related considerations. Currently available methodologies are not suitable for routine collection monitoring, results are not necessarily replicable, and, in the absence of guidance on suitable storage conditions, triggers and suitability of conservation actions are difficult to determine. In this paper we outline a research agenda that would underpin a most robust approach to the delivery of preventative conservation of mineral collections. This includes defining what kind of material change in minerals constitutes damage; developing a protocol for routine monitoring of museum geological collections for the potential damage; establishing optimum environmental and minimum air quality standards for different types of minerals; and testing rigorously the suitability of those conservation treatments that are available presently.