Workshops
All that Glitters Isn’t Gold - A Mineral ID Workshop

Pie-shaped sample of cobalt mineral encased in smaltite, shown on a white background.

Date

Sunday, Jan 25, 2026 13:00

Registration Opens

Wednesday, Nov 12, 2025 10:00

Admission

Workshops - Public: $90.00 Workshops - Member: $82.00

Audience

Adults (19+)

About

How are terrestrial minerals created within the Earth? How – and why – do they exhibit different traits? Designed for those with limited knowledge of meteorites and meteorite identification, this hands-on geology workshop invites participants to dig deep into the science of minerals, the different types of terrestrial minerals, why they’re different, and their impact on the future of science & technology. What makes a “critical mineral” critical? Find out and learn more about the role they play in developing sustainable technologies.  

The program includes in-classroom instruction with touchable samples, a guided exploration of the mineralogy galleries including the forthcoming critical minerals display, and hands-on introduction to mineral classification leveraging ROM’s collections and equipment. Learn more about the use of rock and mineral samples and ID tools, such as magnets and hand lenses, to enhance overall identification skills and understanding of these samples.  

NOTE: Participants are NOT permitted to bring personal specimens to the workshop.

This workshop is designed for audiences with limited knowledge of minerals and mineral identification. 

Instructor

Martin Sykes, Professional Geologist
Martin Sykes

Martin Sykes is a professional geologist with over 15 years of experience in mineral exploration and geoscientific characterization across Canada. Martin has a Master of Earth Sciences from the University of Oxford where he studied before moving to Toronto in 2011. Since moving to Canada, Martin has been exposed to a wide variety of minerals and geology through various working projects ranging from Southern Ontario all the way up to the Arctic Circle. Aside from his educational and professional experiences, Martin is a long-time ROM member and volunteer familiar with the museum's Mineralogy and Geology collections. He can often be found in his spare time fossil hunting and rockhounding across Southern Ontario.