Gem Collection (page 4)

Chrome diopside
Two variations of a diopside gemstone (calcium magnesium silicate). Left: Deep-green faceted cut stone; locality unknown. Right: Small translucent green detached crystal from Outokumpu, Finland

Corundum group
A collection of crystals including ruby and sapphire particolor, ruby rhomboid, and hexagonal cut sapphire

Ruby and Sapphire
Specimens of the mineral corundum (Aluminum Oxide), a ruby and saphire. These gemstones are varieties of the corundum mineral. A collection of crystals including the Edwardes ruby

Birthstone Series: Zircon
Zircon comes in a variety of colours, but most commonly brown or green. It is the birthstone for the month of December (along with Tanzinte and Turquoise). Photographed by Harry Taylor

Birthstone Series: Fire Opal
This specimen is called a fire opal because of its red-orange colour. Many of these specimens originate from Mexico. Opal is the birthstone for the month of October. Photographed by Harry Taylor

Birthstone Series: Lazurite

Birthstone Series: Citrine
Citrine is a form of quartz that appears in different a variety of yellows and oranges, it is the birthstone for the month of November along with Topaz. Specimen number 21470

Included diamond gemstone
A two-carat rectangular step-cut diamond with a large violet-red garnet inclusion visible in the table facet

Birthstone Series: Opal
Opal is a form of silica and it is the birthstone (along with Tourmaline) for the month of October. Natural History Museum specimen number: 1908, 235. Photographed by Harry Taylor

Sapphire turban button
A rose-cut facetted deep-blue sapphire mounted in a button of quartz, inlaid with gold, rubies & emeralds. No 198 in the collection of Sir Hans Sloane

Uvarovite garnets comprise of (calcium chromium silicate). They are characterized by their green colour and rounded crystals of either 12 or 24 faces

Spessartine comprises of (manganese aluminum silicate) and is found in metamorphic environments

Tanzanite crystal and cut stone
This is a blue variety of the mineral zoisite. Strongly pleochroic, it displays rich blue, magenta and yellowish-grey colours when viewed from different angles

Opal
A cut stone and crystal of opal. Opals are not truely crystalline and are therefore mineraloids. They comprise of (hydrated silica glass)

Topaz comprises of (aluminum silicate fluoride hydroxide). This is a specimen from the collections of the Natural History Museum, London

Amethyst crystals

Interstellar diamonds
This specimen is known as the Allende meteorite. When viewed under a transmission electron microscope it shows formations of tiny interstellar diamonds

Russian topaz
Topaz comprises of (aluminum silicate fluoride hydroxide) and is the birthstone of November. Brown topaz specimens from the collections of the Natural History Museum, London

Zircon is the birthstone of December. It comprises of (zirconium silicate) and is not the same as the artificial gem cubic zircona. Crystal specimens are from Nigeria

Pyrope garnet
A cut stone and collection of crystals of pink pyrope garnet (magnesium aluminum silicate). Specimens from the Natural History Museum, London

Carved carnelian bowl
Carnelian is a transluscent yellow to orange variety of chalcedony (micro-crystalline quartz). This bowl was once the property of Sir Hans Sloane

Spessartine garnet
Spessartine comprises of (manganese aluminum silicate). A cut stone and crystal from the collections of the Natural History Museum, London

Rubellite (Tourmaline) decoratively carved pendant. Specimen from the collections of the Natural History Museum, London

Diamond crystals
Clockwise from top left (yellow matrix): in beach conglomerate from Namaqualand, in kimberlite from South Africa and in matrix from Siberia (bottom)

Birthstone Series: Emerald
A specimen of the gemstone, emerald from the Natural History Museum, London. Emerald is the birthstone for the month of May (along with Chrysoprase). Photographed by Harry Taylor

Birthstone Series: Carnelion
A specimen of the mineral, carnelion (BM58673a) from the Natural History Museum, London. Carnelion is the birthstone for the month of July (along with Ruby). Photographed by Harry Taylor

Pleochroism in an iolite cut stone
This iolite (magnesium aluminium silicate) is displaying pleochroism, a varied colour effect as the gem is turned. See also 3960

The Geological Museum, London
The gemstones display area, rock face and wall cases on the Ground Floor of the Geological Museum, now part of the Natural History Museum, London. Photograph taken 1973

Mocha stone, sardonyx and agate
Mocha stone and sardonyx cameos resting on artificially dyed slabs of agate. All these varieties of chalcedony derive from the cryptocrystalline quartz group

Garnetiferous schist
Schist is a metamorphic rock, and this specimen show large formations of the gemstone garnet

Spinel crystal and cut stone
Spinel (magnesium aluminium oxide) crystal from Ruby Mines, Mogok, Burma with spinel cut stone from Sri Lanka. Spinel is found in a red colour and has been previously mistaken for ruby

Diamonds fluorescing
Murchison snuff box set with diamonds fluorescing under ultra violet radiation. Gold snuff box set with diamonds ranging from 0.75 to 2.5 carats, presented to Sir R. I. Murchison by Tsar Alexander II

Jet ornament is similar to amber in texture and to coal in appearance. Jet is fossilised timber of a variety of Araucaria - similar to todays monkey puzzle trees

Crystal, carving and treated blue topaz
An orange crystal, colourless carving of Queen Victorias head and a heat-treated blue topaz gem of 0.24ct

Birthstone Series: Rose Quartz
A specimen of Rose Quartz from the Natural History Museum, London. Rose Quartz is the birthstone for the month of January (along with Garnet). Photographed by Harry Taylor

Andradite is variety dementoid, garnet and comprises of (calcium iron silicate). These crystals are in a matrix from Lanzada, Valtellina, Italy and the cut stone is from an unknown locality

Diamond and simulants
Five gemstones showing dispersion and light spill. Left to right: strontium titanate, cubic zirconia, diamond, YAG, and synthetic white sapphire

A selection of topaz cut stones
Topaz is the hardest silicate mineral and comprises of (aluminum silicate fluoride hydroxide)

Beryl, variety aquamarine
A specimen of the gemstone, Beryl (Beryllium aluminum silicate). This is the aquamarine variety, which is the blue variety. Another variety of beryl is emerald, which is the green variety

Many colours of corundum
Ruby and sapphire cut corundum stones viewed through their pavilions. Corundum is the second hardest natural mineral known

Birthstone Series: Chrysoprase
A specimen of the mineral, chrysoprase (BM1934.919) from the Natural History Museum, London. Chrysoprase is the birthstone for the month of May (along with Emerald). Photographed by Harry Taylor

Rubies and sapphires
Crystals of ruby from Burma which is the red variety of corundum (aluminium oxide). The other variety is sapphire, this specimen is from Kashmir. The lower left specimen is the Edwardes Ruby

Peridot cut stone 146. 1 ct
Peridot is gem variety of the mineral olivine (Magnesium Iron Silicate). It is also the birthstone of August

Topaz
A crystal and a cut topaz stone from the collections of the Natural History Museum, London. Topaz comprises of (aluminum silicate fluoride hydroxide)

Ruby and sapphire gravel
Ruby and sapphire fragments from gem gravels seen on a background of slate. Ruby and sapphire are both varieties of the mineral corundum (aluminium oxide)

Jadeite crystal and cut stone
Jadeite comprises of (sodium aluminum iron silicate) and is actually not a mineral outright, but is a variety of the mineral actinolite. Specimens from the Natural History Museum, London

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