IMA was founded in 1958 as the the world’s largest organization promoting mineralogy, one of the oldest branches of science. 36 national mineralogical societies or groups are members of IMA. The Association supports the activities of several Commissions and Working Groups at the cutting edge of mineralogy and facilitates interactions among mineralogists by sponsoring and organizing meetings.

News

  • IMA2026 Nanjing meeting report

    IMA2026 meeting in Nanjing successfully concluded We are pleased to announce that the IMA2026 Nanjing has successfully concluded.The meeting brought together 789 participants from 29 countries around the world and provided a valuable opportunity for scientific discussion and interaction. The scientific program featured 540 oral presentations and 151 poster displays, covering a wide spectrum of…

  • Seeking for host for IMA 2034

    We are currently seeking bids from national societies to host IMA 2034. The requirements for an IMA meeting and a guide to the process of bidding to host the meeting are set out in the IMA Meetings Guide. Preliminary bids to host IMA-2034 must be delivered to Council by June 2028. Bids will be reviewed…

  • IMA 2026 Nanjing Schedule (updated)

    The schedule for IMA2026 Nanjing has been updated. For detailed schedule of scientific sessions, please visit the official website. (Please log in to your personal page to view the detailed schedule.) Day 0 | Thursday, August 20, 2026 09:00 – 18:00 Registration & Check-in18:00 – 20:00 Welcome Kit Collection & Ice-Breaking Reception Day 1 |…

IMA Statement

According to our constitution, an important objective of IMA is the promotion of contact and interaction among mineralogists of all nations. The current dramatic events in Ukraine affect IMA, in that both Ukraine and Russia are two of our member countries. Thus, we cannot ignore the present situation, and we call for a dialogue without weapons and for peace. Any military conflict is a humanitarian catastrophe serving against progress and international scientific cooperation.

Greetings from the IMA President

At the IMA 2026 in Nanjing, Nancy Ross took over the presidency of IMA from Eiji Ohtani. She will serve a two-year term, leading our association and guiding future activities.

See her message

Mineral of the Year 2025 – Lianbinite

Mineral of the Year award for 2025 has been assigned to lianbinite. The mineral was discovered on specimens collected at the western end of Pusch Ridge, Santa Catalina Mountains, north of Tucson, Pima Co., Arizona, USA. Lianbinite belongs the class 10 of Strunz (organic minerals), being a glycolate, namely a derivative of glycolic acid, C2H4O3. The concurrent occurrence of the glycolate anion and the glycolic acid molecule, never recorded so far in Nature, marks the novelty of lianbinite and led this organic mineral to earn the “Mineral of the year” award.
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2026 IMA Medalist

Christian Chopin of CNRS, France is 2026 IMA Medalist. Congratulations! Dr. Chopin has distinguished himself through the profound and lasting impact of his research in Earth sciences, exemplifying one of the central pursuits of mineralogy: the discovery and interpretation of new mineral occurrences. His identification of coesite in the Dora-Maira Massif demonstrated that continental crust can be subducted to mantle depths and subsequently exhumed, revolutionizing our views on vertical tectonics, and establishing the field of ultrahigh-pressure metamorphism. Beyond this landmark discovery, his career has been characterized by rigorous, innovative, and elegant mineralogical research, integrating field observations, crystal chemistry, thermobarometry, and experimental petrology to address fundamental questions in Earth sciences.
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MINERALOGY 2022 – IYBSSD 2022-2023
Interview of Patrick Cordier