The petrology collections are split between Keyworth and Edinburgh, with Keyworth housing most of the English and Welsh material, and Edinburgh the Scottish material. Several of the collections have been routinely sliced and thin sections prepared.

• National sliced rock collection: England and Wales — 'E' Collection : approximately 73 000; Scotland — 'S' Collection: approximately 100 000
   
• International sliced rock collection — 'F' Collection: approximately 10 000 [Keyworth]
   
• Museum Reserve — display quality rocks and minerals: approximately 36 000 [Keyworth] includes 200+ samples of volcanic rocks from the Galapagos Islands, Reunion and Ascension Island donated by Charles Darwin in the 1840s.
   
• Building stones — [Keyworth]
   
• Miscellaneous collections — including collections made by such geologists as Murchison, Geikie and Teall; also donated collections e.g. Lindsey, Hall [Keyworth] and Knox [Edinburgh].
   

Specimens are available for study at either Keyworth or Edinburgh and a loan system is available to accredited scientists.

General enquiries about the collections:

Building stone enquiries:

Graham Lott
Telephone: 0115 936 3594
Fax: 0115 936 3437

Contact Collections