Founded in 1958, the International Mineralogical Association (IMA) is an international group of 40 national societies. The goal is to promote the science of mineralogy and to standardize the nomenclature of the 5000 plus known mineral species. The IMA is affiliated with the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS).
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 2022: 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 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) Technical University of 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)
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).