Alpine crystal display at the Chamonix Crystal Museum

A unique opportunity to discover Mont Blanc treasures found in the Mont Blanc Shear zone, Mont Blanc mountains, and at the sides of glaciers in the Mont Blanc Massif, and a global collection of crystals.

There are several faults that developed the Mont Blanc Massif in multiple thrusts; the Midi fault, the Simplon-Rhone fault, the Mont Blanc back thrust, the Penninic thrust, the Diablerets thrust, and the presence of a shear zone which created and houses exceptional crystals of which a collection are housed in this extraordinary museum where in the first room viewers can enjoy the alpine crystal display.

The main minerals and rocks in the Mont Blanc are on display, including the granite and gneiss and the smoky quartz which are on show in room1. These specimens are housed in display cabinets and are on open display to view and touch.

The next rooms display a collection of worldwide crystals with some extraordinary examples from young European alpine mountains in France, Switzerland, Austria, Italy and mountains from all of the world, fine examples are on show from Africa, Asia, and the ocean.

Alpine specimens include smoky quartzes, épidotes, sidérites, flourites in reds, blues and pink, axinites, granite, and gneiss.

There are also information boards about crystals that can be read along the way round.