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Chrysina limbata, silver chafer beetleSilver chafer beetle specimen. The beetles have a base pigment covered by several colourless microscopically thin layers called laminae
Slice of Canyon Diablo meteoriteIron meteorites, when sliced open and etched with acid, typically show a distinctive criss-cross pattern called a Widmanstatten pattern. This slice is 15cm across
Gold with black sands in a gold panGold (Au) is an elemental metal. It occurs mainly as nuggets in rocks or as seen here, as grains in alluvial deposits
KaoliniteScanning electron microscope image of kaolinite (x 4.00K). Its a common phyllosilicate mineral, its structure is composed of silicate sheets bonded to aluminum oxide/hydroxide layers
Coleoptera sp. metallic beetlesA pair of gold and silver metallic beetles side by side
Gold nugget found in a dry river bed outside Potchefstroom, Wits. 120 km southwest of Johannesburg, October 1882. Approximately 68x48mm and 156g in weight
Franklinite, zinc oreA granular rock composed of white calcite, dull green willemite, red zincite and black franklinite (Zinc Iron Manganese Oxide). See T00387 for a fluorescent view
Benitoite was discovered in 1906 near the San Benito river in California which remains the only known locality for this (barium titanium silicate) mineral
Polished slab of labradoriteLabradorite (calcium sodium aluminum silicate) can seem dull and grey until the light hits correctly, then an array of colours can be observed glowing on the surface
BerylA cut heliodor beryl stone of 135.93 carats. Beryl comprises of beryllium aluminum silicate
PerovskiteLarge black, pseudocubic crystals of perovskite (calcium titanium oxide). It is a source of titanium and some rare earth metals
Plate 1 from Specimens of British Minerals? vol. 1 by P. RasPlate 1 entitled Woodlike-tin ores from Specimens of British minerals, selected from the cabinet of P. Rashleigh, of Menabilly, in the County of Cornwall (1797) by Philip Rashleigh
Iron meteoriteThis meteorite is the product of atmospheric melting, as are stony achondrites. Specimen held at the Natural History Museum, London
Linarite is a bright azure blue colour with crystal growth to nearly 25mm. It comprises of (lead copper sulphate hydroxide). Specimen from the Natural History Museum, London
Quercus in amberA male oak tree flower in Baltic amber with a length of 3.7 mm and dating from the Upper Eocene about 35 million years old. Image from Amber The Natural Time Capsule page 29 figure 86
Corundum variety ruby; crystal and gemsCrystal and gem specimens of ruby, the red variety of the mineral corundum (aluminium oxide). Corundum has two varieties, the other being sapphire
Lead (Pb) is a soft but heavy, metallic element. It appears blueish white when freshly cut but quickly tarnishes to dull grey. Specimen from the Natural History Museum, London
Nephrite jadeA specimen of nephrite jade from New Zealand. Nephrite is actually not a mineral outright, but is a variety of the mineral actinolite (calcium magnesium iron silicate hydroxide)
Sapphire Buddha pin less then two centimetres tall. Sapphie is so hard it would have needed something as hard or harder to shape it, most probably another Sapphire
Nickel-Iron meteoriteThis cross-section through a nickel-iron meteorite shows the metallic lattice structure
Limonite, also known as ironstone, is comprised of (hydrated iron oxide) and is characterized by its rusty colour and banded appearance
CinnabarTwinned dark red cinnabar crystals with small quartz crystals. Cinnabar comprises of (mercury sulphide). Specimen from the Natural History Museum, London
Niccolite mineral with metallic lustre, comprises of nickel arsenide. It is also known as coppernickel and nickeline. This specimen is from the Natural History Museum, London
GoldA specimen of the metal element, gold, from Hopes Nose near Torquay, Devon. A beautifully delicate dendritic growh in cream-coloured calcite, with brown weathered dolomite
Sperrylite is a platinum di-arsenide (PtAs2) which occurs rarely in a few localities across the world. This specimen originates from South Africa, and is of exceptional quality
PeridotCrystal of peridot from Zebirget (St Johns Island), Red Sea. Peridot is the gemstone variety of olivine (magnesium iron silicate)
Atomic structure of goldModel showing the face-centred cubic structure of atoms in a gold crystal. Gold is an elemental metal. It occurs mainly as nuggets in rocks and alluvial deposits
Murchison Snuff BoxThe base of the gold snuff box presented to Sir Roderick Impey Murchison by Tsar Alexander II
Chrysoberyl cut stoneThis is Alexandrite, a cushion-shaped Chrysoberyl (beryllium aluminum oxide) gemstone. Alexandrite is named after the former czar of Russia, Alexander II
Platinum NuggetA 10-centimetre-long platinum nugget from the Nijai-Tagilsk mine in the Ural Mountains in Russia
Serpentine cupA mottled serpentine ornamental cup or tazza on a black marble base. The mineral serpentine is composed of (magnesium iron silicate hydroxide)
Butterscotch wulfeniteA large specimen of the mineral wulfenite from the Glove Mine, Arizona, USA
Tourmaline cut stones see 666A group of tourmaline cut stones. Tourmaline is the name given to a group of eleven minerals which all have a general chemical formula
Copper massThis copper block was discovered by Samuel Hearne in the Arctic Circle in 1771. He carried it for a year before presenting it to the Hudsons Bay Company
Silver wireFound in the Kongsberg mines in Norway, this specimen still has its long wires attached to the white calcite in which they grew
Diamond spikes
Ring with a weevil set inAbout 200 years old, this weevil (Tetrasothynus regalis) has been set in a gold ring
Natural ruby in marbleFrom the mines of Mogok in Burma (Myanmar). Ruby is the red variety of the mineral corundum with small impurities of chromium that turn it red
Cursed amethystWhen the Mineralogy Department received this amethyst in 1943 they found a note inside the box: this stone is trebly accursed and is stained with the blood
Antigorite and boweniteGroup of two specimens of antigorite (above) and two specimens of antigorite var. bowenite below. Both these specimens comprise of (magnesium iron silicate hydroxide)
CopalStalactite of New Zealand copal locally known as kauri gum. Copal is the mid-stage between resin and amber. Figure 8 from Amber The Natural Time Capsule
Chalcopyrite or copper pyrite comprises of (copper iron sulphide). It is a common mineral and is found in almost all sulphide deposits. Specimen from Wheal Towan, Cornwall
The Esquel pallasite
The Latrobe gold nuggetA 717gm mass of crystallised cubes of gold about 11cms in length. Specimen was found at Mt. Ivor, Victoria, Australia in the presence of the then govenor of the colony, C. J. Latrobe
Plate 10, fig 2 from MineralienbuchAn illustration of an andalusite mineral deposit showing columnar crystals. Plate 10, fig 2 from Mineralienbuch by F. A. Schmidt, Stuttgart 1855
Magnetite (iron oxide) specimen from Piedmont, Italy. From the collections of the Natural History Museum, London
Turquoise variety HenwooditeA specimen of the turquoise variety called Henwoodite, named after William Jory Henwood (1805-1875) from West Phoenix Mine, Linkinhorne, Cornwall
Precambrian LandscapeArtists impression of a Precambrian (4, 500 to 543 million years ago) landscape, when oxygen built up in the atmosphere (about 1)