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Birthstone Series: Brilliant Cut DiamondDiamond, a gemstone from the Natural History Museum collections, in London. Diamond is the birthstone for the month of April (along with quartz, rock crystal). Photographed by Frank Greenaway
Frank Greenaway, Science PhotographerMuseum photographer Frank Greenaway lighting a gemstone so that the internal structure is captured in a photograph
Earths TreasuryInterior view of Earths Treasury gallery, the Earth Galleries, the Natural History Museum, London
Plate 99, from MineralogieVarious gemstone varieties including diamond, ruby, sapphire, spinel and Topaz. From Recuille complet de Mineralogie vol.3 (1790) by F.L. Swebach Desfontaines
Plate 3 from Histoire naturelle? (1789)Plate 3, Histoire Naturelle ou Mineralogie Complete from Histoire naturelle: ou, Exposition des morceaux, les mieux choisis pour servir (1789) by by Swebach Desfontaines
Chinese amber carvingAn intricate crab carved out of Chinese amber. Amber is fossilised tree resin. Fig. 25 from Amber the Natural Time Capsule
Kor-i-noor replicaAn exact copy of the original Kor-i-noor diamond created from cubic zirconia by John Nels Hatleberg (Cat 157). Photographed by Frank Greenaway
Birthstone Series: AquamarineAquamarine is the blue variety of beryl (beryllium aluminum silicate) and is the birthstone of the month of March. A gemstone from the Natural History Museum collections, in London
Birthstone Series: GarnetGarnet has a chemical composition of iron aluminium silicate. It is the birthstone of the month of January. Gemstone from the Natural History Museum collections, in London
Tiger eye specimen
Opal in matrix specimen
Hematite tumblestone
Carnelian specimen
Diamond with garnetRed garnet crystal in an octagonal, step-cut diamond. Diamond comprises of compacted carbon and is the hardest natural substance known on Earth
Peridot groupFine cut peridot of 146 carats (centre) with crystals and rough mass (right) from Zebirget, and Hawaiian basalt containing olivine crystals (left)
Star rubies and sapphiresStar stones of ruby and sapphire, both are varieties of the mineral corundum (aluminium oxide). Ruby always appears in red where as sapphire comes in a variety of colours
Ruby and Sapphire cut stones
Benitoite crystal and cut stoneBenitoite was discovered in 1906 near the San Benito river in California which remains the only known locality for this (barium titanium silicate) mineral
Spodumene crystal and cut stoneLarge spodumene (Lithium Aluminum Silicate) crystal and cut gemstone from Brazil
ChrysoberylShown here is a crystal and a cut stone of chrysoberyl (beryllium aluminum oxide). Chrysoberl is a gemstone and is also known as cats eye
RubyA six-rayed star ruby. Ruby is the red variety of the mineral corundum (aluminium oxide)
Topaz crystals and faceted topaz showing a diverse colour range. Topaz comprises of (aluminum silicate fluoride hydroxide)
Citrine and amethyst are both varieties of quartz (silicon dioxide)
GarnetsFaceted garnets showing a range of colours. Garnet is the birthstone of January
Kunzite crystal and cut stoneStrongly dichroic pink kunzite crystal and faceted kunzite. Kunzite (lithium aluminum silicate) is the pink variety of spodumene and is pleochroic
Labradorite carving
SapphireA six-rayed star blue sapphire. Sapphires derives from the corundum mineral group which is the second hardest group known
ZirconsFaceted zircons showing various colours and high lustre, from Sri Lanka. Zircon comprises of (zirconium silicate) and is not the same as the artificial gem cubic zircona
TopazBlue irradiated topaz pebbles and faceted topaz. Topaz is comprised of (aluminum silicate fluoride hydroxide)
Ceratonia siliqua, carob bean treeIllustration of carob beans by B. Thanner. The beans were used as weights for gems and precious metals
GemstonesA selection of faceted gemstones from the collections of The Natural History Museum, London
Imitation turquoiseA slab of imitiation turquoise. True specimens of turquoise are among the most valuable non-transparent minerals
Imitation emeraldA faceted teardrop synthetic emerald
Moodstone cut as cabochons. A cabachon is a highly polished convex-cut gem
Green demantoid garnet in ring from the collection of Sir Arthur Herbert Church. Dementoid is the green variety of andradite garnet
Brewster Angle MeterPlacing a gem inside a Brewster Angle Meter. This instrument was introduced in 1999. This instrument can be used to find the refractive index (RI) of gems, which can help with identification
Opal doubletsOpals are not truely crystalline and are therefore mineraloids. They comprise of (hydrated silica glass)
Pink rubellite tourmalineChinese pendant carving in pink rubellite tourmaline
Emerald on calciteWell-formed hexagonal crystals of emerald on calcite. Emerald is a variety of beryl (beryllium aluminum silicate). The green colour is attributed to small amounts of chromium
TopazImage of Queen Victoria carved in topaz. Topaz comprises of (aluminum silicate fluoride hydroxide)
Almandine garnetsBrooch set with almandine garnets. Almandine comprises of (iron aluminum silicate) and is the most common of the garnets
Sapphire crystalSapphire is a blue variety of corundum, which is the second hardest natural substance known on Earth. Specimen originates from Olberg, Rheinland, now at the Natural History Museum, London
Ruby is a variety of corundum, which is the second hardest natural substance known on Earth. Specimen is originally from Aust-Agder, Norway, and is now on display at the Natural History Museum, London
BerylA specimen of beryl (beryllium aluminum silicate). There are several varieties of beryl, aquamarine (blue), emerald (green), goshenite, heliodor and morganite
Emerald, a variety of berylA cut teardrop stone and a prismatic crystal of the green variety of beryl (beryllium aluminum silicate) known as emerald. Specimen from the Natural History Museum, London
AlmanditeA crystal and a cut stone of almandite, a deep red garnet comprised of (iron aluminum silicate). Specimen from the collections of the Natural History Museum, London
Amethyst is the purple variety of quartz (silicon dioxide) and is a popular gemstone
TourmalineA specimen of the mineral and gemstone tourmaline from Itambacury Theophilo Ottoni, Minas Gerais, Brazil