George Switzer
American mineralogist
Died when: 92 years 286 days (1113 months)Star Sign: Gemini
George Shirley Switzer (June 11, 1915 – March 23, 2008) was an American mineralogist who was credited with starting the Smithsonian Institution's famed National Gem and Mineral Collection by acquiring the Hope Diamond for the museum in 1958.
Switzer made the arrangements when renowned New York City jeweler Harry Winston decided to donate the Hope Diamond to the Smithsonian.
Switzer was also known for his analysis of moon rocks which were brought back by NASA missions to the Moon.
Today, the National Gem and Mineral Collection at the National Museum of Natural History currently contains more than 15,000 individual gems in the collection, as well as 350,000 minerals and 300,000 samples of rock and ore specimens.
Additionally, the Smithsonian's National Gem and Mineral Collection houses approximately 35,000 meteorites, constituting what is considered to be one of the most comprehensive collections of its kind in the world.
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