International Mineralogical Association

The Association supports the activities of Commissions and Working Groups involved on certain aspects of mineralogical practice and facilitates interactions among mineralogists by sponsoring and organising meetings. In particular, the IMA holds its general meeting every four years. The last meeting was scheduled in 2022 in Lyon, France.

Presidents

The presidents of the IMA have been:

since 2024: Eiji Ohtani
- Tohoku University
2022–2024: Hans-Peter Schertl
- Bochum University
2020–2022: Anhuai Lu
- Peking University
2018–2020: Patrick Cordier
- Université de Lille
2016–2018: Peter C. Burns
- University of Notre Dame
2014–2016: Sergey V. Krivovichev
- Saint Petersburg State University
2012–2014: Walter V. Maresch
- Ruhr University Bochum
2010–2012: Ekkehart Tillmanns
- Institute of Mineralogy and Crystallography, University of Vienna
- Mineral: tillmannsite (IMA2001-010)
2006–2010: Takamitsu Yamanaka
- Osaka University
2002–2006: Ian Parsons
- University of Edinburgh
1998–2002: Anthony (Tony) J. Naldrett
- University of Toronto
- Mineral: naldrettite (IMA2004-007)
1994–1998: Stefano Merlino
- University of Pisa
- Mineral: merlinoite (IMA1976-046)
1990–1994: Xiande Xie
- Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry (Chinese Academy of Sciences)
- Mineral: xieite (IMA2007-056)
1986–1990: Peter John Wyllie
- California Institute of Technology (after 1984, Caltech) and University of Chicago (1965–1983)
- Mineral: wyllieite (IMA1972-015)
1982–1986: Ivan Kostov (Nikolov) (1913–2004)
- Sofia University and National Museum of Natural History (1974-1989)
- Mineral: kostovite (IMA1965-002)
1978–1982: Claude (Jean Guy) Guillemin (1923–1994)
- École des Mines de Paris (Mines ParisTech)
- Mineral: guilleminite (IMA1964-031)
1974–1978: Vladimir Stepanovich Sobolev (1908–1982)
- Novosibirsk State University
- Mineral: sobolevite (IMA1982-042)
1970–1974: Karl Hugo Strunz (1910–2006)
- Technische Universität Berlin
- Mineral: strunzite (1958)
1964–1970: Cecil Edgar Tilley (1894–1973)
- University of Cambridge (England)
- Mineral: tilleyite (1933)
1960–1964: Daniel Jerome Fisher (1896–1988)
- University of Chicago
- Mineral: djerfisherite (IMA1965-028)
1958–1960: Robert Lüling Parker (1893–1973)
- Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich) and University of Zurich
- Mineral: parkerite (1937)

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Medal

The IMA Medal for Excellence in Mineralogical Research was created in 2006. It is awarded for scientific excellence and eminence as represented by long-term outstanding scientific publication in the field of mineralogical sciences. It is one of the pre-eminent awards in mineralogical research and represents a life-time achievement award.

Medalists

2023 - Tetsuo Irifune
2022 - Patricia Dove
2021 - Robert Hazen
2020 - Georges Calas
2019 - Eiji Ohtani
2018 - Gordon E. Brown, Jr.
2017 - Emil Makovicky
2015 - Rod C. Ewing
2013 - Nikolay V. Sobolev
2011 - David H. Green
2009 - Frank C. Hawthorne
2008 - Charles Prewitt

Working groups and commissions

The most active IMA commission is the Commission on New Minerals and Mineral Names (CNMMN). It was founded in 1959 to coordinate the assigning of new mineral names, revision of existing names and discreditation of invalid species. Traditionally, the validation procedure of new minerals is one of the chairman's tasks and the discreditation or revalidation procedure of invalid species are two of the vice-chairman's tasks. In July 2006 a merger between the CNMMN and the Commission on Classification of Minerals (CCM), initiated at the request of both commissions, resulted in the Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification (CNMNC).

Chairmen of CNMNC

Ferdinando Bosi (since mid-2022)
Ritsuro Miyawaki (2018-2022)
Ulf Hålenius (2015-2018); (since c. 2015); mineral: håleniusite-(La) (IMA 2003-028)
Peter (Pete) A. Williams (2008 – 2014); mineral: petewilliamsite (IMA 2002-059)
- Frédéric Hatert, vice-chairman (changes in existing nomenclature)
- Marco Pasero, vice-chairman (general classification matters)
Ernst A. J. Burke (2003 – August, 2008); mineral: ernstburkeite (IMA 2010-059)
- Giovanni Ferraris, vice-chairman
Joel Denison Grice (1995 – 2002); mineral: griceite (IMA 1986-043)
Joseph (Joe) Anthony Mandarino (1983 – 1994); mineral: mandarinoite (IMA 1977-049)
- Ernest (Ernie) H. Nickel, vice-chairman; mineral: ernienickelite (IMA 1993-002)
Akira Kato (1975 – 1982); mineral: katoite (IMA 1982-080a)
Michael (Mike) Fleischer (1959 – 1974); mineral: fleischerite (IMA 1962 s.p.)
- Max Hey, vice-chairman
- François Permingeat, secretary

Member societies

Among the societies represented at the IMA are:

Associación Mineralogica Argentina
Bulgarian Mineralogical Society
Ceska geolicka spolecnost
Croatian Mineralogical Association
Deutsche Mineralogische Gesellschaft
Geological Society of Australia
Geological Society of Greece, Committee of Economic Geology Mineralogy and Geochemistry
Koninklijk Nederlands Geologisch Mijnbouwkundig Genootschap (Royal Geological and Mining Society of the Netherlands)
Magyahoni Földtani Tarsulat (Hungarian Geological Society), Asvantyan-Geokémoai Szakosztally (Mineralogical and Geochemical Section)
Mineralogical Association of Canada
Mineralogical Association of South Africa
Mineralogical Society of America
Mineralogical Society of Denmark
Mineralogical Society of Georgia
Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland
Mineralogical Society of India
Mineralogical Society of Japan
Mineralogical Society of Korea
Mineralogical Society of Romania
Mineralogical Society of Slovakia
Mineralogical Society of Uzbekistan
Norsk Geologisk Forening, Mineralogisk Gruppe
New Zealand Geochemical and Mineralogical Society
Österreichische Mineralogische Gesellschaft
Polskie Towarzystwo Mineralogiczne
Russian Mineralogical Society
Schweizerische Mineralogische und Petrographische Gesellschaft
Slovenian Geological Society, Mineralogical Branch
Sociedad Española de Mineralogía
Sociedade Brasileira de Geologia
Sociedade Geologica de Portugal, Grupo de Mineralogia
Società Italiana di Mineralogia e Petrologia
Société Française de Minéralogie et de Cristallographie
Suomen mineraloginen seura r.y
The Chinese Society of Mineralogy, Petrology and Geochemistry
The Mineralogical Society of Egypt
The Swedish Mineralogical Society
Ukrainian Mineralogical Association
Union Minéralogique de Belgique