An emerging community project in Tasman, Aotearoa New Zealand
Collections
The Solaria Collections bring together minerals, crystals, rocks, fossils, and sands gathered across generations, landscapes, and disciplines. Each collection has been shaped through careful stewardship — whether hand-collected in the field, mined from the Earth, preserved within families for decades, or curated for learning, display, and exploration. Together, they form a living archive that honours the Earth’s geological story and our evolving relationship with it.
Museum Collections
A Museum in Formation
Evolving with care, integrity, and intention.
The 'Hall of Memory' is a living, evolving space dedicated to the story of Earth’s mineral and geological heritage. Rather than presenting a single fixed collection, the museum brings together rotating exhibitions drawn from Solaria’s collections, private lenders, educational holdings, and future acquisitions.
Solaria Collections
The Solaria Collection brings together selected mineral specimens from Aotearoa New Zealand and across the world, curated for display, study, and appreciation. It includes raw specimens, carved forms, microminerals, and larger feature pieces chosen for their geological integrity, beauty, and educational value. This collection continues to evolve as Solaria grows, guided by ethical sourcing and a commitment to mineral literacy.
Wells Collection
The Wells Collection is a world-class assemblage of microminerals from Aotearoa New Zealand and around the world, alongside hand-collected New Zealand rock specimens. Built through decades of dedicated fieldwork, exploration, and exchange, this collection reflects both scientific significance and deep personal knowledge of place. It offers a rare opportunity to encounter mineral specimens that are often unseen by the public due to their scale, rarity, and precision.
Lyall Collection
The Lyall Collection is a deeply personal archive of rocks and fossils gathered over fifty years ago and carefully preserved within a local family. Passed down with care and intention, many specimens remain in their original labelled wrappings — some predating modern plastic materials. This collection speaks to an era of attentive collecting, quiet curiosity, and long-term guardianship, offering a tangible link between generations of Earth observers.
Educational Collections
The Educational Collections are designed to support hands-on learning, observation, and exploration for all ages. These collections include teaching specimens, comparative sets, and materials intended to invite curiosity — from first encounters with minerals to deeper study through magnification, classification, and contextual learning. They form a core part of Solaria’s learning and workshop spaces.
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Sand Collection
The Solaria Sand Collections document the extraordinary diversity found within one of Earth’s most overlooked materials. Beginning with sands gathered from across Aotearoa New Zealand, the collection is growing through connections with sand collectors and researchers worldwide. Each sample offers insight into regional geology, erosion, and planetary processes at a granular scale.
The Sears Private Collection
A small, evolving group of mineral specimens and stones gathered over many years that feel resonant with the Sears family. These pieces are held primarily within the Sears family home and are not part of the permanent public collection, yet from time to time they may be shared through rotation or special display within Solaria’s public spaces.
Each collection within Solaria is cared for as both a scientific resource and a cultural archive — held with respect for its origins, its journey, and its future role in learning and connection.