From October 23rd to 26th, the Munich Show took place in Munich, the leading European fair dedicated to minerals, fossils, and gemstones,attracting nearly 50,000 attendees, including specialists and visitors. More than 1,100 exhibitors from over 60 countries once again made this fair one of the main international meeting points in the world of mineralogy.
In this edition, the fair featured a special exhibition titled Earth’s Treasures – The Hidden Wealth of Europe, an overview of the continent’s geodiversity that highlighted its mineral richness and the importance of preserving it. The exhibition brought together exceptional specimens loaned by museums, universities, and private collections, with the aim of creating a shared vision of Europe’s mineral heritage and emphasizing its scientific, historical, and aesthetic value.
This year, the Natural Science Museum of Barcelona played a significant role, contributing with a representative selection of minerals from the Iberian Peninsula. High-quality specimens from the historical Cervelló and Vidal collections were included. Among the displayed pieces were fluorites from La Collada (Asturias), a well-crystallized dolomite from Eugui (Navarra), and a pair of pyromorphites from Horcajo (Castilla-La Mancha), all highly representative of classic Iberian mineralogy. This selection allowed the international public to discover an important part of the mineral heritage preserved in the museum while highlighting the geological richness of the Iberian Peninsula.
La fira també ofereix un espai de trobada per a entitats i associacions professionals, com la International Mineralogical Association (IMA) o la Society of Mineral Museum Professionals (SMMP), que organitzen reunions i debats sobre conservació, recerca i gestió de col·leccions. Aquests espais d’intercanvi contribueixen a impulsar bones pràctiques i noves col·laboracions dins de la comunitat científica i museística.
El Munich Show és, any rere any, un dels grans aparadors internacionals del món mineral, capaç de reunir col·leccionistes, professionals i públic general al voltant de la bellesa i la complexitat de la natura mineral. La participació del Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona en aquesta edició consolida la seva presència en un espai de rellevància internacional i reforça el seu paper com a referent en l’àmbit de la mineralogia.
The fair also provides a meeting space for professional entities and associations, such as the International Mineralogical Association (IMA) and the ociety of Mineral Museum Professionals (SMMP), which organize meetings and discussions on conservation, research, and collection management. These exchange spaces help promote best practices and foster new collaborations within the scientific and museum community.
Year after year, the Munich Show remains one of the major international showcases of the mineral world, capable of bringing together collectors, professionals, and visitors around the beauty and complexity of the mineral world. The participation of the Natural Science Museum of Barcelona in this edition strengthens its presence in a highly relevant setting and positions it as a reference institution in the field of mineralogy.
General view of one of the halls of the Munich Show 2025. Photo: Munich Show website
Miquel Roquet
Conservador de Mineralogia del MCNB