Geology

The geological specimen have their origin predominantly in the Kutná Hora’s mining district as well as various other locations in the Kutná Hora district. These specimen may be classed with the specimen from the adjoining areas logically complementing the documentation of the collection area. A minor part of the specimen, mainly from old acquisitions, have no direct connection with Kutná Hora. However, they are valuable items or interesting comparative material.

The nucleus of the geological collection of the Czech Museum of Silver has been created from the old collection of Vocel Archaelogical Society. Since 1966, it has been extended through fieldwork and purchases. Large amounts of the documentation materials have been acquired from the Institute of Raw Materials (Ústav nerostných surovin) in Kutná Hora. Other specimen were donated by collectors and the Ore Mines´ (RD) employees.

The sub-collection comprises approximately 4900 specimen of rock and minerals and has been divided into several work groups.

Rock

Rock

The group comprises approximately 500 specimen of igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rock from the entire district and the vicinity. The oldest and most beautiful of them are the old formatted specimen from the road maintanance official Filip Ruda living at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. An important part is comprised of the documentation material resulting from the mapping of the district in the 1960s acquired from the Institute of Raw Materials (Ústav nerostných surovin). The specimen of Kutná Hora´s origin comprise approximately half of the registered items.

The fossil rock items are set apart as a unique group.

Ores

Ores

Since Kutná Hora was in the past renown particularly for its silver mines, it is natural that the most important and most numerous part of the sub-collection is comprised of sulphidic and waste rock minerals of ore veins. Within the sub-collection, these are classified according to the mining districts. A unique group is formed by silver and acanthite specimen, of which there are 260. Another unique group comprises of more than 300 scratch patterns acquired from the Institute of Raw Materials in the 1990s. A little portion (not more than 100 items) is comprised of ores from different locations. The entire group amounts to approximately 2000 specimen.

Minerals (of cristalline slates)

This group is mainly represented by minerals of cristalline slates, the most significant of which are the alpine paragenesis minerals from the Čáslav region. Numerous locations in the Kutná Hora district are for the most part represented by a limited number of specimen of various character. The collecting area stretches beyond the district boundaries (e.g. the Iron Mountains – Železné hory, the Kolín district). The total number of specimen in this group is 800. The minerals bound to serpentines, skarns and marbles including the minerals from Kutná Hora have been set apart as a unique group.

The Minerals from Kutná Hora

The Minerals from Kutná Hora

The group comprises more than 600 specimen, the half of which is represented by the alpine paragenesis minerals from the location Kutná Hora – V Hutích. Other types include the pegmatite, gneiss and migmatite minerals and last but not least the secondary minerals. This group also includes a portion of the waste rock minerals of the ore veins.

Minerals - sediments

The group is prevalently represented by sinter formations created by the precipitation of calcite and aragonite in the mines. In particular in the museum mine. Furthermore, there are various types of calcific or iron concretions from the sedimentary rocks. The group comprises approximately 70 specimen.

Serpentines

Serpentines

The most beautiful specimen are from the serpentine body in Kutná Hora – Karlov. The collection includes both the examples of various types of rock and the fissure minerals, thanks to which this locatin has become famous. Approximately one third of the specimen in this group come from other locations within the urban area of Kutná Hora, the Kutná Hora region and from beyond.

Skarns

The group is dominated by approximately 150 specimen from the most significant skarn locations in the district – Vlastějovice and Malešov. Besides the skarn minerals there are also some specimen of the pegmatite and ore veins penetrating the skarn bodies.

Cristalline calcites (marbles)

The specimen of the cristalline calcites (marbles) and their minerals have been set apart as a small unique group. Nearly on third of the five dozen specimen come from the location Malovidy – Na Stříbrné with the metasomatic ore pocket. Less numerous are the specimen from the quarries in Bohdaneč, Sázava, Třebonín and others.

Sinters

The group includes roughly 100 specimen of sinters and their minerals. The specimen from the sinter heaps in Kutná Hora and the vicinity originating from the processing of local ores prevail. There are also several specimen of similar materials from different locations. Another type is represented by sinters from iron ore processing.

System

For the time being, this group represents only a small marginal part of the geological sub-collection. It includes mainly the minerals superior in quality from the old collections, e.g. from the former collection of the Kutná Hora´s realschule (a type of secondary school) or from the recently-acquired collection from the inheritance of Josef Vepřek. For the most part, these collection items have no direct relationship to this region. Their classification conforms to the mineral nomenclature.