Mineral Collection (#19)

Chiastolite

Calcite Iceland

Calcite group

Green calcite

Beryl specimen

Aragonite specimen

Barred olivine chondrule from the Palmyra ordinary chondrite (the chondrule is about 1.2mm across)

Amazonite

Agate moss

Agate dyed

Agate
Dyed agate

Agate
Botswana agate

Pentremites spicatus, blastoid
A Carboniferous blastoid from Grayson Co, Kentucky, U.S.A

Raphiidonema faringdone, calcareous sponge
A vase-shaped calcareous sponge with numerous small canals from the Cretaceous of Berkshire, England

Diamond with garnet
Red garnet crystal in an octagonal, step-cut diamond. Diamond comprises of compacted carbon and is the hardest natural substance known on Earth

Peridot group
Fine cut peridot of 146 carats (centre) with crystals and rough mass (right) from Zebirget, and Hawaiian basalt containing olivine crystals (left)

Star rubies and sapphires
Star 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

Brochantite
A specimen of the mineral brochantite (copper sulphate hydroxide) from the Fowey Consols mine, St Blazey, Cornwall. A rippled green mass of minute crystals, with similar (but blue-green) langite

Benitoite crystal and cut stone
Benitoite 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 stone
Large spodumene (Lithium Aluminum Silicate) crystal and cut gemstone from Brazil

Blue John specimen
A compact banded variety of Fluorite known as Blue John, found only in Castleton, Derbyshire, England. Specimen on display at the Natural History Museum, London

Alexandrite
A twinned alexandrite crystal. Alexandrite is a variety of chrysoberyl (beryllium aluminum oxide) and is named after the former Czar of Russia, Alexander II

Agate
A cut and polished section of brown banded agate from Brazil. Agate (silicon dioxide) is a cryptocrystalline quartz

Ruby
A 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)

Garnets
Faceted garnets showing a range of colours. Garnet is the birthstone of January

Kunzite crystal and cut stone
Strongly dichroic pink kunzite crystal and faceted kunzite. Kunzite (lithium aluminum silicate) is the pink variety of spodumene and is pleochroic

Labradorite carving

Sapphire
A six-rayed star blue sapphire. Sapphires derives from the corundum mineral group which is the second hardest group known

Zircons
Faceted 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

Topaz
Blue irradiated topaz pebbles and faceted topaz. Topaz is comprised of (aluminum silicate fluoride hydroxide)

Labradorite
A close-up of the surface of a rich blue specimen of the mineral labradorite from labrador. Labradorite (calcium sodium aluminum silicate)

Imitation turquoise
A slab of imitiation turquoise. True specimens of turquoise are among the most valuable non-transparent minerals

Imitation emerald
A faceted teardrop synthetic emerald

Moodstone cut as cabochons. A cabachon is a highly polished convex-cut gem

Agate
A cut and polished section of blue agate from Idar-Oberstein, Germany. Agate (silicon dioxide) is a cryptocrystalline quartz

Carbonate
The formation of carbonate on the Allan Hills martian meteorite ALH84001

Green demantoid garnet in ring from the collection of Sir Arthur Herbert Church. Dementoid is the green variety of andradite garnet

Bournonite or cog-wheel ore comprises of (copper lead antimony sulphide). Cog wheel ore contains the mineral chromite, though it is difficult to extract from crystals

Opal doublets
Opals are not truely crystalline and are therefore mineraloids. They comprise of (hydrated silica glass)

Pink rubellite tourmaline
Chinese pendant carving in pink rubellite tourmaline

Emerald on calcite
Well-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

Topaz
Image of Queen Victoria carved in topaz. Topaz comprises of (aluminum silicate fluoride hydroxide)

Almandine garnets
Brooch set with almandine garnets. Almandine comprises of (iron aluminum silicate) and is the most common of the garnets

Lapis lazuli
Beads of lapis lazuli, with rough lapis lazuli, from Afghanistan. Lapis lazuli (sodium calcium aluminum silicate sulphur sulphate) is a rich blue opaque, semi-precious stone

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