Unearthed: Raw Beauty is a collaboration between the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and the Gallery of Natural Art.

Unearthed: Raw Beauty is the world’s first exhibition to present minerals as fine art. It reimagines the mineral gallery for today’s audiences and celebrates the meeting of science, design and deep time.

From California’s gold to vivid azurites from China and rare crystals of gold, silver and fluorite, the exhibition explores how minerals form, how they are used, and why people have valued them for thousands of years.

Design and scope
GNA worked with NHMLAC’s exhibition department on the concept, bilingual text and case layouts for more than 270 specimens. The design uses natural tones, clean typography, and precise lighting to highlight each mineral’s structure and color.

The exhibition features bilingual interpretive panels in English and Spanish, with crisp 3D lettering and durable Sintra graphics that guide visitors through each display. Clear acrylic numbering makes it easy to follow the stories behind the specimens, inviting everyone from seasoned collectors to first-time guests to look more closely at the Earth itself. The educational journey begins deep underground, where minerals form under heat and pressure, and rises to the surface of human creativity. It explores California’s rich geology and gem history, the skill of Chinese artisans who transformed tourmaline into fine art, and the modern laboratories where scientists now grow crystals that reflect nature’s own designs.