Wiley and American Museum of Natural History to Digitize Mineral Collection into Raman Spectral Database

In a recent announcement, Wiley, a publishing and research intelligence company, and the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) have announced a collaborative project to create a comprehensive Raman spectral database drawn from the Museum's mineral collection, which is one of the largest and most significant in the world. The first installment of data is expected to be available later this spring.¹

The partnership will produce spectroscopic reference data from the AMNH's holdings of more than 120,000 mineral specimens and 5,000 gems, which is a collection that has anchored geological research since the Museum's founding in 1869.¹ Wiley will distribute the resulting data sets through two platforms: its KnowItAll analytical chemistry software and SpectraBase, its publicly accessible online spectral database.

Why does this partnership matter?

This partnership matters because it is designed to result in greater access to authenticated mineral spectra. Spectral databases often function as chemical "fingerprint" libraries, and researchers rely on these databases for their own projects.² Researchers working to identify unknown materials normally compare an unknown substance's spectral signature against authenticated reference standards to confirm composition. As a result, researchers rely on reference libraries to have quality spectra and an extensive database.

In addition, access to authenticated mineral spectra has practical implications across a wide range of disciplines. Geologists and mineralogists use spectroscopic identification in both field and laboratory settings, while forensic scientists rely on similar techniques to analyze trace evidence. Archaeologists use mineral analysis to authenticate and characterize artifacts, and materials scientists need reliable reference data when developing or testing new compounds.^1,3 The expanded database is also expected to support the development of machine learning (ML) algorithms and computational models for analyzing materials not yet formally characterized.¹

For many of these researchers, obtaining access to authenticated reference data from a collection of the AMNH's caliber has historically been limited.

What is the scope of this project?

Kate Kiseeva, curator in the Division of Physical Sciences and of the Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals at the AMNH, noted that the scope of this collaboration extends the scientific utility of a collection built over more than 150 years.

“Our mineral collection has been a cornerstone of geological research since the Museum’s founding in 1869,” Kiseeva said in a press release.¹ “This project with Wiley will greatly expand access to this valuable scientific collection in new ways, providing scientists worldwide with high-quality spectroscopic reference data that will advance mineral identification and analysis for years to come."

According to Wiley, their dual-channel distribution model, through both its licensed KnowItAll platform and the openly accessible SpectraBase, is designed to reach both commercial and academic users. SpectraBase currently hosts hundreds of thousands of reference spectra across multiple analytical techniques, and the AMNH mineral data will be integrated incrementally, with additional records added following the initial spring release.¹

Graeme Whitley, senior director of data science solutions at Wiley, described the initiative as consistent with the company's broader effort to build shared scientific infrastructure.

"The AMNH's minerals collection represents an extraordinary scientific resource," Whitley said in a statement,¹ "and by creating comprehensive spectral libraries, we're enabling researchers everywhere to leverage this knowledge in their work."

What does this partnership mean for museum collections moving forward?

This partnership shows that museums, such as AMNH, are looking to digitize its vast physical holdings in order to increase the scientific return on them. By digitizing the spectral data from these minerals, researchers who cannot visit the museum on-site will have access to them.

What does this partnership mean for Wiley?

For Wiley, the partnership extends a spectral database business that serves pharmaceutical, chemical, forensic and materials science sectors. The company has positioned reference data as a core component of its scientific infrastructure strategy alongside its traditional publishing and research analytics operations.

References

1. Wiley, Wiley and American Museum of Natural History to Build Comprehensive Spectral Database of Minerals Collection. Wiley. Available at: https://newsroom.wiley.com/press-releases/press-release-details/2026/Wiley-and-American-Museum-of-Natural-History-to-Build-Comprehensive-Spectral-Database-of-Minerals-Collection/default.aspx (accessed 2026-03-24).
2. Busch, K. L. Managing Mass Spectrometric Data. Spectroscopy 2012, 27 (1), 14–23. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/managing-mass-spectrometric-data
3. Wetzel, W.; Spectroscopy Staff. Using XRF, XRD, FT-IR, and Confocal Microscopy to Characterize Late Period Egyptian Wooden Sculptures. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/using-xrf-xrd-ft-ir-and-confocal-microscopy-to-characterize-late-period-egyptian-wooden-sculptures (accessed 2026-03-24).