Digitizing Minerals Collection Through Spectral Database Project with Wiley
Alvaro Keding/© AMNH
The Museum is making its mineral collection more accessible to scientists, students, and researchers around the globe through a comprehensive database, known as a Raman spectroscopy database, based on Museum specimens.
The project, a collaboration with global publishing and research company Wiley, began in 2026. The first database installment was published on Wiley’s analytical chemistry platforms, KnowItAll and SpectraBase, in spring 2026, and additional data will be added on an ongoing basis.
The final database will be a compilation of hundreds of mineral spectra. These “scientific fingerprints” are unique for every mineral and can be recorded by shining a laser on the material and measuring how the light changes, a technique called Raman spectroscopy. Researchers use spectral signatures of unknown samples against reference data to help identify them.
Such reference libraries play an important role across many fields, including geology, chemistry, archaeology, forensics, and materials science. They also are increasingly valuable for developing new analytical tools, algorithms, and models used to study minerals and other materials.
“Our mineral collection has been a cornerstone of geological research since the Museum’s founding in 1869,” said Kate Kiseeva, a curator in the Division of Physical Sciences. “This project with Wiley will greatly expand access to this valuable scientific collection in new ways, providing scientists worldwide with high-quality spectroscopic reference data that will advance mineral identification and analysis for years to come."
The Museum’s mineral collection is one of the largest and most scientifically significant collections of its kind. By digitizing spectral information from these specimens, the Museum and Wiley will help transform this physical collection into a globally accessible scientific resource.
“This project exemplifies Wiley’s commitment to advancing scientific discovery by making high-quality standard reference data accessible to researchers worldwide,” said Graeme Whitley, senior director, data science solutions at Wiley. “This minerals collection represents an extraordinary scientific resource, and by creating comprehensive spectral libraries, we’re enabling researchers everywhere to leverage this knowledge in their work.”