The "Italian Mineralogical and Petrological Society" was established on December 12, 1940, as Italian Mineralogical Society and took the present name of Società Italiana di Mineralogia e Petrologia (SIMP) in 1970.
Both individuals and institutions interested in mineral sciences (i.e. crystallography, geochemistry, mineralogy, petrology, volcanology, and their applied sciences) can join the Society. The Society includes 440 individuals members (ordinary and junior) and about 50 institutions, mostly Italian but some also from European and non-European countries.
The SIMP, as Italian official representative for mineral sciences, has delegates at some of the main international scientific societies, such as the European Mineralogical Union (E.M.U.) and the International Mineralogical Association (I.M.A.).
The SIMP was one of the founders of the "Italian Federation of Earth's Sciences" (FIST), in the board of which has two delegates in addition to the president.
The main aims of SIMP are to coordinate, exploit and publish the results of researches in the different fields of the mineral sciences.
Annual meetings (so far 83) (every two years in collaboration with the FIST) have been held and thematic workshops devoted, among other things, to biomineralogy, Earth's mantle, applied mineralogy, and meteorites.
From its establishment, the official journal of the Society has been the "Rendiconti della Società Italiana di Mineralogia e Petrologia" (Reports of the Italian Mineralogical and Petrological Society), which published scientific articles on mineral sciences and different news of interest for the members. In 1989, from the merging of Società Italiana di Mineralogia e Petrologia, Deutsche Mineralogische GesellschaftSociété Française de Minéralogie et de Cristallographie, the bimonthly European Journal of Mineralogy (EJM) was founded, which became the official journal of the three societies. In 1996, the European Mineralogical Union officially entered into the managing committee of the journal, and in 2004 also the Sociedad Española de Mineralogía joined the project. As result of this European cooperation in the field of mineral sciences, the European Journal of Mineralogy became an appreciated international journal and a constant reference for the international community. The SIMP also publishes Plinius, a national annual supplement to the EJM, which contains abstract of papers presented at meetings or workshops, extended abstracts of Italian PhD theses on mineral sciences, the budged of the Society, and any other news of interest for the members.
Prizes, named after members of the Society (Angelo Bianchi, Carlo Minguzzi, Johndino Nogara, Ugo Panichi) are advertised periodically. In addition to the prizes, a Plinius medal is awarded to members of the Society, who distinguished for the excellence of the research or for promoting mineral sciences nationally and internationally.
One scholarship grant to carry out research in foreign countries and two prizes for PhD theses are awarded each year.
The title of "honorary fellow" is conferred to eminent members of the international mineral science community: the title also includes the free receiving of the SIMP publications.
The general meeting of the SIMP members takes place every year during the Scientific Meeting and gives the main points of the Society's programme, appoints the boards of directors and the board of auditors, discusses and approves the budget, confirms the admittance of new members, and deliberates on the routine administration points. The Board of Directors, that realizes the resolutions of the General Meeting and meets two or three times per year, consists of a Chairperson, a Vice-Chairperson (in charge for two years), a Secretary, a Treasurer, and six Councillors (in charge for 4 years). and
