Due to its history and the wealth of specimens, the Mineral Collection at the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin is one of the most significant in Europe. The Mineral Collection alone comprises 180,000 samples of approximately 3,000 minerals, which is about 60 percent of all known minerals. It is the largest and most diverse Mineral Collection in Germany and therefore comparable in significance to collections of other major natural history museums in Europe.
The meteorite collection comprises 6,000 specimens of approximately 4,100 different meteorites. As the collection dates back to the early stages of meteorite research, it contains many pieces from Europe, including many main masses of meteorites found in Germany. However, over time, stony meteorites, stony-iron meteorites and iron meteorites from all over the world have been added to the collection, which increased its international relevance.
The Rock and Ore Collection comprises approximately 70,000 rock and ore samples and is subdivided into Regional Rock, Systematic Rock, Impactite, Crystalline Erratic Rock, Ore, and Natural Building Stone sub-collections. There are also thin sections and polished thick sections of rocks and minerals attached to the collection. The comprehensive Impactite Collection comprising 5,000 impact crater rock specimens is unique in Europe and one of the largest in the world.