Mineral Collection (page 9)

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

Usnea inflata, beard lichen
And Hypogymnia physodes (right), Burnham Beeches, Bucks, W. London. The former is a recent colonist following reductions in SO2 pollution

Ceratolithoides aculeus, coccolith
Scanning electron microscope image of an isolated coocolith from Cretaceous chalk. These are thin calcite shells protecting the coccolithophore within

Florosphaera profunda, coccolith
Scanning electron microscope image of a complete sphere of coccoliths from modern oceans. These are thin calcite shells protecting the coccolithophore within

Susannite on Caledonite
4mm crystal of susannite (carbonate) in a mass of caledonite (suplhate). Specimen from the Roughton Gill mine, Caldbeck Fells, Cumbria

Burmese amber
A large specimen of Burmese amber measuring 50 cms left to right

Plate 10, fig 1 from Mineralienbuch
An illustration of an axinite mineral specimen. Plate 10, fig 1 from Mineralienbuch by F. A. Schmidt, Stuttgart 1855

Plate 3, fig 4 from Mineralienbuch
A illustration of a slice of polished brown jasper. Jasper is a variety of cryptocrystalline quartz (silicon dioxide). Plate 3, fig 4 from Mineralienbuch by F. A. Schmidt, Stuttgart 1855

Plate 10, fig 2 from Mineralienbuch
An illustration of an andalusite mineral deposit showing columnar crystals. Plate 10, fig 2 from Mineralienbuch by F. A. Schmidt, Stuttgart 1855

Agate
This polished agate specimen from Saxony is called Breccia Sanguigna. This brecciated agate comprises mainly of irregular sized fragments of cryptocrystalline quartz, set in a finer matrix

Plate 8, fig 1 from Mineralienbuch
An illustration of a blatterzeolith mineral deposit. Plate 8, fig 1 from Mineralienbuch by F. A. Schmidt, Stuttgart 1855

Limacina mercinensis, holoplanktonic mollusc
Fossilised specimens of Holoplaktonic molluscs found in early Eocene, London Clay at Highgate, London. 58 million years old

The Mineral Gallery
An interior view of the Natural History Museums Mineral Gallery

Magnetite (iron oxide) specimen from Piedmont, Italy. From the collections of the Natural History Museum, London

Turquoise variety Henwoodite
A specimen of the turquoise variety called Henwoodite, named after William Jory Henwood (1805-1875) from West Phoenix Mine, Linkinhorne, Cornwall

Agate
A polished slice of agate from Uraguay. Agate (silicon dioxide) is a cryptocrystalline quartz

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

Plate 38 from Mineralogie
Beau Moceau de Malachite Rubanee de Siberie. From Recuille complet de Mineralogie? vol.5 (1790) by F.L. Swebach Desfontaines

Plate 53 from Mineralogie
Mine de Plomb blanc en rayon et Colore du Hars tire du Cabinet de Mr. Aubert. From Recuille complet de Mineralogie? vol.6 (1790) by F.L. Swebach Desfontaines

Baltic amber with caddis fly
A Caddis fly, Trichoptera preserved in Baltic amber. The cracks in the amber are filled with crystals of iron pyrite. Specimen dates from the Upper Eocene

Plate 26 from Mineralogie
Etain Jaune Cristallise en octaedre avec un coommencement de prisme d Angleter livre de la belle collections dr Mr. Forster. From Recuille complet de Mineralogie? vol.6 (1790) by F.L

Agate
A polished slice of agate or chalcedony from Uraguay. Agate (silicon dioxide) is a cryptocrystalline quartz

Plate 42 from Mineralogie Volume 1 (1790)
Coupe de la corne d ammons don?t chacunes des cazes, renferme une variete particuliere du Spath calcaire. From Recuille complet de Mineralogie? vol.1 (1790) by F.L. Swebach Desfontaines

Plate 40 from Mineralogie
Mine de Cuivre Vert Soieuse avec Azur mamelonee. From Recuille complet de Mineralogie? vol.5 (1790) by F.L. Swebach Desfontaines

Plate 2 from Mineralogie Volume 1 (1790)
Gipse ecailleux perle dans ses calsure et en prismes dont les sommts aronclis, des environs de Paris. From Recuille complet de Mineralogie vol.1 (1790) by F.L. Swebach Desfontaines

Plate 13 from Mineralogie Volume 1 (1790)
Selenite en prismes tres alonge et transparant, d Espagne tire du Cabinet de Mr. Grigot d Orey. From Recuille complet de Mineralogiea vol.1 (1790) by F.L. Swebach Desfontaines

Plate 102 from Mineralogie
Superbe groupe de grands cristaux d Aigue marine de Siberie. From Recuille complet de Mineralogie Vol.3 (1790) by F. L. Swebach Desfontaines

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