Mineral Collection (page 8)

Tourmaline cut stones see 666
A group of tourmaline cut stones. Tourmaline is the name given to a group of eleven minerals which all have a general chemical formula

Belemnotheutis antiquus
A well-preserved Upper Jurassic squid aged 160 million years. This specimen originates from the famous clay deposits in Wiltshire

Black opal
131-carat black opal found in the Lightning Ridge area of New South Wales, Australia

Emerald
Possibly from the collection of Rt Hon Charles Greville in 1810. Emerald is a variety of beryl (beryllium aluminum silicate). The green colour attributed to small amounts of chromium

Yellow sapphire from Sri Lanka, 101 carats. Acquired by the museum in 1874

Agate
Blue lace

Turritella agate

Agate thundereggs

Agate slice

Imperial Topaz
Found in 1852 in one of the oldest mines in the southeastern Ouro Preto region of Brazil

Padparadscha is one of the most unusual varieties of the mineral corundum

Blue sapphire
Sri Lankan specimen of blue sapphire. A rare example of the uncut material

Moss agate specimen

Agate

Copper mass
This 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

Bloodstone or heliotrope carvings
These frogs were carved from bloodstone by Paul Dreher. Bloodstone is green agate containing speckles of red jasper. All these derive from the cryptocrystalline quartz group

Spinel specimen
Spinel crystals from Vietnam. The rock has been chipped away to reveal the well-defined crystals

Crystal balls are produced by grinding and polishing quartz (silicon dyoxide) cystal into spheres

Silver wire
Found in the Kongsberg mines in Norway, this specimen still has its long wires attached to the white calcite in which they grew

The Minerals Gallery at the Natural History Museum, London

Cordierite-biotite-gneiss
Geological specimen collected by Scotts British Antarctic Expedition 1910-1913, also known as the Terra Nova expedition. It had a broad scientific programme and collected thousands of geological

Diamond spikes

Natural ruby crystal
This ruby is a staggering 1, 085 carats. Mined in Burmas Mogok (Myanmar s) mines and bought by the Museum in 1924 from Burma Ruby Mines Ltd. It is one of the largest crystals in the Museum collection

Malachite comprises of (copper carbonate hydroxide). Malachite has distinctive green banding and belongs to the carbonate class

Star sapphire
Parallel bundles of fibres are formed in the stone as it crystallises. When the sapphire is cut in the correct orientation the silky needles reflect light to form a star effect

Agate
Blue lace agate

Natural ruby in marble
From 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 amethyst
When 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

Plaster mould recording the original shape of the Koh-i-Noor
Made in 1851 before the diamond was re-cut to a brilliant oval. This cast records the Mogul-style cut of the Koh-i-Noor diamond

Fossilised Mesturus verrucosus
Fossilised fish from upper Jurassic lithographic limestone, Eichstadt, Germany. 150 million years ago

Plate 48 from Mineralogie
Mine d Or granuleuse avec du Spath perle couleur de Rose. From Recuille complet de Mineralogie? vol.6 (1790) by F.L. Swebach Desfontaines

Plate 46 from Mineralogie
Mine jeaune de Cuivre coloree et en mamelons a Mr. Forster. From Recuille complet de Mineralogie? vol.5 (1790) by F.L. Swebach Desfontaines

Plate 37 from Mineralogie
Or natif en dendriet sur du quartz de Mr. Forster. From Recuille complet de Mineralogie? vol.6 (1790) by F.L. Swebach Desfontaines

Plate 3a from Histoire naturelle? (1789)
Plate 3a, Histoire Naturel Des Mineraux et de Pierres Precieuses, from Histoire naturelle: ou, Exposition des morceaux, les mieux choisis pour servir? (1789) by by Swebach Desfontaines

Plate 35 from Mineralogie
Mine de Cuivre vert Foieuse et en Mamelons. From Recuille complet de Mineralogie? vol.5 (1790) by F.L. Swebach Desfontaines

Plate 6 from Mineralogie
Mine de Fer en grains qui offre quelgues facettes de Mr. Forster. From Recuille complet de Mineralogie? vol.5 (1790) by F.L. Swebach Desfontaines

Plate 47 from Mineralogie
Pyrite Cuivreuse coloree avec fer Spatique et cristaux de roches. From Recuille complet de Mineralogie? vol.5 (1790) by F.L. Swebach Desfontaines

Antigorite and bowenite
Group of two specimens of antigorite (above) and two specimens of antigorite var. bowenite below. Both these specimens comprise of (magnesium iron silicate hydroxide)

Plate 6a from Histoire naturelle? (1789)
Plate 6a, Histoire Naturel Des Mineraux, from Histoire naturelle: ou, Exposition des morceaux, les mieux choisis pour servir? (1789) by by Swebach Desfontaines

Morelia spilota, diamond python
Watercolour 40 by the Port Jackson Painter from Banks Manuscript 34, (c. 1790)

Plate 45 from Mineralogie
Mine de Cuivre vitreuse rouge Cristallisee mellee de Vuivre natif et fleurs de Cuivre soieuse vertes. From Recuille complet de Mineralogie? vol.5 (1790) by F.L. Swebach Desfontaines

Plate 39 from Mineralogie
Tres rare Moceau de vitriol de Cuivre Fosile a cause de sa facle decompossion. From Recuille complet de Mineralogie? vol.5 (1790) by F.L. Swebach Desfontaines

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

Hannays diamond
No.1 of Hannays diamonds. Specimen held in the Mineralogy Department at The Natural History Museum, London

The Esquel pallasite

Brasilia bradfordensis, ammonite
This Middle Jurassic ammonite has been sectioned to show its chambers with calcite crystals formed in some and hardened mud in others. The body chamber is missing

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