Mineral Collection (#15)

Tenorite is comprised of (copper oxide). It is found as grey to black metallic crystals and as a by-product of lava flows. Fibrous specimen from the Natural History Museum, London

Franklinite, fluorescing
Ore of zinc fluorescing under ultra violet radiation: calcite - pink; willemite - green; zincite - blue; franklinite - black. See image number 388 for white light view

Phosphophyllite comprises of (hydrated zinc iron manganese phosphate). Blue-green specimen from the collections of the Natural History Museum, London

Birthstone Series: Tanzanite
A specimen of tanzanite, from the Natural History Museum, London. Tanzanite is the birthstone for the month of December (along with Zircon and Turquoise). Photographed by Harry Taylor

Cordierite
A specimen of cordierite (magnesium aluminum silicate), a mineral from the class of silicates. Its gemstone variety called iolite is popular among gemstone collectors

Kernite is composed of hydrated sodium borate hydroxide with transparent crystals. Kernite is also an important ore of borax. Specimen from the Natural History Museum, London

Halysites a coral
Halysites, a Silurian coral also known as a chain coral. Corals comprise a soft bodied animal called a polyp. Each polyp inhabits a calcareous skeleton called a corallum

Micraster coranguinum, echinoid
This a common heart-shaped Cretaceous sea-urchin originates from the Upper Chalk. This specimen is preserved in its original calcite and its length is around 6cm

Augelite comprises of (aluminum phosphate hydroxide). This specimen has well developed semi-transparent crystals and is from the Natural History Museum, London

Amethyst, baryte dioptase, rhodochrosite
Amethyst, purple crystals from India. Baryte, long yellow prisms from Cumbria. Dioptase, green lustrous crusts from Namibia. Rhodochrosite, pink crystals on quartz

Dancing woman in green serpentine

Skutterudite

Erythrite
Erithrite comprises of (hydrated cobalt arsenate) and is characterized by its striking red-purple colouration and needle-like fibrous crystals

Cancrinite comprises of (sodium calcium aluminum silicate carbonate) and is one of the rarer members of the feldspathoid group. Specimen from the Natural History Museum, London

Spodumene
A specimen of the mineral spodumene (lithium aluminium silicate). This mineral comes in two varieties, Kunzite and Hiddenite

Chlorargyrite is a mineral consisting of silver chloride

Liskeardite
A specimen of the mineral liskeardite from the Marke valley mine, Liskeard, Cornwall. Soft fibrous crystals, forming a pale-green botryoidal crust on a fine-grained matrix of chlorite and quartz

Birthstone Series: Bloodstone
A specimen of the mineral bloodstone, a variety of quartz. (33974), from the Natural History Museum, London. Bloodstone is the birthstone for the month of March (along with Aquamarine)

Stilbite comprises of (hydrated sodium calcium aluminum silicate) and derives from the Zeolite group. Specimen from the collections of The Natural History Museum, London

Thomsonite

Origin of Gem Minerals
A diagram showing cross sections through the earths continental crust to a depth of 40kms. Many gemstones form within the crust at different levels and at different temperatures

Chalcosine, from the St Ives Consols mines, Cornwall
A specimen of the mineral chalcosine, a detached group of lenticular, pseudo-hexagonal crystals, the largest about 12 mm across from St Ives Consols mines, Cornwall, U.K

Olivenite comprises of (copper arsenate hydroxide). It is a rare copper mineral normally deep olive green in coluor. Specimen from Wheal Jewel, Gwennap, Cornwall

Emerald crystals and cut stone
Emerald is a variety of beryl (beryllium aluminum silicate). The rich, green colour is attributed to small amounts of chromium which is unmatched by any other mineral species

Insect collection by James Petiver (1663-1)
This late 17th century insect collection is unique in that the specimens are mounted and preserved between sheets of the mineral mica

Beryl crystals
Beautifully formed beryly variety crystals of aquamarine, heliodor, morganite and emerald. Beryl comprises of (beryllium aluminum silicate)

Lazulite comprises of (magnesium iron aluminum phosphate hydroxide) not to be confused with lazurite - as it looks and sounds the same is a rare ornamental and gemstone

Boulangerite comprises of (lead antimony sulphide) and is characterized by fine, fibrous crystals. This specimen is from the Natural History Museum, London

Stephanite

Fossil collecting near Aveley, Essex
Palaeontologists collecting the remains of a woolly mammoth and a straight-tusked elephant from a clay pit near Aveley, Essex in 1964

Siderite
Stout prisms of siderite, up to 1.7cm long and terminated by basal place and narrow rhombohedrom faces, on quartz crystals. Specimen from the Great Onslow Consol mine, St. Breward, Cornwall

Emeralds
Emerald is a variety of beryl (beryllium aluminum silicate). The green colour is attributed to small amounts of chromium. Specimens from the Natural History Museum, London

Gemstone series: sapphire
Sapphire, the blue variety of the mineral corundum (aluminium oxide). Sapphire can be found in a number of different colours. Specimen at the Natural History Museum, London

Birthstone Series: Peridot
Peridot, a gemstone from the Natural History Museum, London. Peridot is the birthstone for the month of August (along with Sardonyx). Photographed by Frank Greenaway

Birthstone Series: Ruby

Birthstone Series: Blue Topaz

Birthstone Series: Topaz
Topaz has a chemical composition of aluminum silicate fluoride hydroxide and is the birthstone for the month of November (along with Citrine). Photographed by Frank Greenaway

Birthstone Series: Brilliant Cut Diamond
Diamond, 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

Willemite
A specimen of willemite (zinc silicate) photographed under UV light

Quartz variety amethyst

Asbestos
Geometric asbestos crystals. Asbestos is a dangerous, fibrous amphibole mineral

Chrysis rudii, ruby-tailed wasp
An illustration of a ruby-tailed wasp (Chrysis rudii)

Thomas Allan (1777-1833)
Portrait of Thomas Allan, an important figure in the history of mineralogy. This is the only known portrait of him. His collection of around 9

Earth Lab
Children in the Earth Lab, Gallery 66. Earth Galleries at The Natural History Museum, London

Mineral Gallery, 1923
The Mineral Gallery, on the first floor of the east wing, is the only area to retain the same layout since first opening in 1881

Geological Gallery, 1882
A photograph of the Geological Gallery from the Museums Archives

Cassiterite, sparable tin
Dark-brown slender lustrous prisms of cassiterite (tin oxide) on brownish siderite and dark-green chlorite. Specimen from the Dolcoath mine, Camborne, Cornwall

Axopodorhabdus albianus, coccolith
Scanning electron microscope image of a Cretaceous coccolith from Folkestone Chalk (x 10, 000 on a standard 9 cm wide print)

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