Educational Rock and Mineral Specimens — Supplier in India

Quick answer: STEMAids supplies 88 educational rock and mineral products — curated teaching specimens covering the three rock classes (igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic), individual mineral samples, industrial minerals, alloys and genuine fossil specimens including ammonites, belemnites and Archaeopteryx casts. Listed prices run from ₹165 for a 20-alloy set to ₹2,600 for a set of six ammonites. Specimens make geology tangible in a way no photograph can, because rock identification is a tactile and visual skill learned by handling.

STEMAids supplies rock, mineral and earth-science specimen collections as part of its geography lab equipment and educational science equipment range for schools across Delhi and pan-India.

Rock identification depends on properties a photograph cannot transmit: how heavy a sample feels for its size, whether a fracture is conchoidal or splintery, whether a surface is greasy or vitreous. A feel property collection of 10 at ₹425 exists specifically to teach tactile discrimination, and a group of minerals with different fractures at ₹220 isolates one diagnostic property so students learn to read it.

What the rock and mineral range covers

Group	Representative products	Teaching purpose
Rock class sets	Igneous and plutonic rocks, set of 12 (₹542); metamorphic rocks, set of 15 (₹420)	The rock cycle; distinguishing the three rock classes
Mixed teaching collections	Collection of rocks and minerals, 12 samples (₹620); minerals used in industry, set of 50 (₹345)	Introductory geology; linking minerals to economic use
Diagnostic property sets	Feel property collection, set of 10 (₹425)	Teaching identification by texture, fracture and lustre
Individual rock specimens	Basalt (₹235); black granite (₹210)	Building a reference collection; replacing lost samples
Fossils	Ammonites, set of 6 (₹2,600); belemnite rostra (₹1,120); Archaeopteryx (₹1,260)	Palaeontology, evolution, index fossils, deep time
Materials science	Alloys set, collection of 20 (₹165)	Linking minerals and ores to engineering materials

The fossil sets: what to know before you buy

Fossils are the most expensive items in this category and the most pedagogically valuable, because they are the only apparatus in a school that is genuinely ancient. The cut and polished stromatolite (₹2,010) exposes the internal layering built by cyanobacterial mats — the oldest evidence of life most students will ever hold. Note: Archaeopteryx specimens sold at educational price points are cast replicas rather than original fossils, since genuine Archaeopteryx material is museum-held; this is standard and appropriate for teaching, and is itself a useful lesson about how palaeontology works.

Applying the 6-S Framework to specimen collections

Syllabus: rock cycle and mineral resources appear in middle-school geography and senior-secondary geology; fossils appear in evolution units in biology. Specification: ask for specimen size and whether samples are labelled and boxed. Safety: ask about the composition of any mineral sample before issuing it to students. Sturdiness: compartmented boxes matter since collections lose samples. Spares: individual specimens are separately orderable. Supporting documents: statutory pack via the Tenders page.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should a school rock and mineral collection include?

Representative specimens of all three rock classes, common rock-forming and economically important minerals, a diagnostic property set isolating identification features, and ideally fossil material. STEMAids covers all four across 88 products.

How much do rock and mineral specimen sets cost in India?

Individual specimens ₹210–₹600, class and property sets ₹345–₹620, fossil specimens ₹1,120–₹2,600, based on prices listed on stemaids.com on 1 August 2026.

What is the difference between igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks?

Igneous rocks form when magma or lava cools and solidifies. Sedimentary rocks form when particles are deposited, buried and compacted or cemented. Metamorphic rocks form when existing rock is altered by heat and pressure without melting.

Are the fossil specimens genuine?

Educational fossil ranges include both genuine specimens and cast replicas depending on the item. Archaeopteryx at educational price points is a cast replica since original material is museum-held. Confirm the status of a specific specimen before ordering.

What is a stromatolite and why is it taught?

A layered sedimentary structure built by cyanobacterial mats trapping sediment. Stromatolites are among the oldest evidence of life on Earth, over three billion years old, making them a teaching object for origin of life and deep time.

Can specimen collections be supplied against school tenders?

Yes, against tenders, rate contracts and CSR programmes with a full statutory document pack. See the Tenders page. Related teaching materials are available in Educational Charts.