The Mineralogical Society of Southern California

Join Executive Director, Renata Lafler, for a brief history of the Mines Museum of Earth Science, a world-class mineral museum in Golden, CO.  She will also showcase one of the most special lapidary objects in the museum’s collection, the Miss Colorado Crown!  Explore the gemological properties, history, and connections that make this piece unique.  Renata will be available for a Q&A session afterwards.

 

Renata Lafler is a gemologist, mineral enthusiast, and mom of five who has served as the Executive Director of Mines Museum of Earth Science at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, CO since 2018.  Prior to her time at the museum, Renata was the Director of Gemstone Advancement and Education at Jewelry Television (JTV) in Knoxville, TN.  As a Fellow of the Gemological Association of Great Britain (FGA), she acted as the Executive Producer of the Sisk Gemology Reference, a three-volume book series about gems.  Renata achieved her Master’s degree in Geosciences in 2009 at the University of Arizona, analyzing the Raman spectra of gemstones, and her B.S. in geology from St. Norbert College in DePere, WI.  She has been cultivating an appreciation of Earth’s wonders for more than 12 years and creatively combats chaos daily with effective planning and a sense of humor.