Oxide Collection

Franklinite, zinc ore
A granular rock composed of white calcite, dull green willemite, red zincite and black franklinite (Zinc Iron Manganese Oxide). See T00387 for a fluorescent view

Perovskite
Large black, pseudocubic crystals of perovskite (calcium titanium oxide). It is a source of titanium and some rare earth metals

Crucifix set with sapphires, zircon, spinel, cairngorm and amethyst. The whole cross is bordered by diamonds

Rocks, Copper
Native copper, cuprite, azurite (blue oxide of copper), malachite, copper pyrites, peacock copper

London smog map
London smog, 1952, pollution contours diagram of oxides of sulphur Date: 5th-9th December 1952

Advertisement, Dr Williams pink pills for pale people. Afraid to face traffic. Nerves in a terrible state and anaemia made her as pale as death

Minerals collected by John Mawe in Brazil, 1812
Minerals collected by the author during his tour: chrome of lead, gold in chlorite, new variety of hydragillite, red oxide of titanium, conglomerate mass containing gold and sometimes diamond

Information leaflet, Dr Williams pink pills for pale people
Information leaflet for Dr Williams pink pills for pale people. The patent medicine pills contained iron oxide and magnesium sulphate

Advertisement, Dr Williams pink pills for pale people. Mother weak from childhood. Son a victim of St Vitus Dance. The patent medicine pills contained iron oxide and magnesium sulphate

Corundum variety ruby; crystal and gems
Crystal and gem specimens of ruby, the red variety of the mineral corundum (aluminium oxide). Corundum has two varieties, the other being sapphire

Moon rock fragment from the last Apollo space mission, Apollo 17, encased in perspex on a wooden plaque. The thumbnail-size rock is around 3.7 billion years old

PAPUA NEW GUINEA. Rabaul. Japanese reconnaissance aircraft Mitsubishi F-1 shotted down in Rabaul, Papua New Guinea, during the Second World War

The Hope Chrysoberyl
Glittering 45-carat chrysoberyl gemstone from Brazil which, has been known among gemmologists for about 170 years

Sapphire Buddha pin less then two centimetres tall. Sapphie is so hard it would have needed something as hard or harder to shape it, most probably another Sapphire

Limonite, also known as ironstone, is comprised of (hydrated iron oxide) and is characterized by its rusty colour and banded appearance

Chrysoberyl cut stone
This is Alexandrite, a cushion-shaped Chrysoberyl (beryllium aluminum oxide) gemstone. Alexandrite is named after the former czar of Russia, Alexander II

Alexandrite crystals
A cluster of the gemstone alexandrite trillings, or twinned crystals. This gemstone was named after the Russian Tsar Alexander II. It can appear in both red or green

Diamond flower brooch
Victorian diamond-encrusted flower with a sapphire at its centre

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Corundum group
A collection of crystals including ruby and sapphire particolor, ruby rhomboid, and hexagonal cut sapphire

Ruby and Sapphire
Specimens of the mineral corundum (Aluminum Oxide), a ruby and saphire. These gemstones are varieties of the corundum mineral. A collection of crystals including the Edwardes ruby

Sapphire turban button
A rose-cut facetted deep-blue sapphire mounted in a button of quartz, inlaid with gold, rubies & emeralds. No 198 in the collection of Sir Hans Sloane

Columbite
Specimen used by Charles Hatchett when he discovered niobium (then called columbium) and now called columbite in 1801. Mineral collection, the Natural History Museum

The discovery of Niobium
Paper by Charles Hatchett, read at the Royal Society London 1801, describing how he discovered niobium (then called columbium). This mineral is now known as Columbite

Psilomelane
A bright black botryoidal mass of psilomelane. Psilomelane comprises of (barium manganese oxide hydroxide). Specimen from Monkstone mine, Brent Tor, Devon

Pyrochlore
Scanning electron microscope images of elemental maps showing thorium, uranium, tantalum and silicon in the mineral pyrochlore from Sokli, Finland

Cassiterite
A dark-brown single crystal of cassiterite among quartz. Cassiterite comprises of (tin oxide) and forms ornately faceted crystals with high lustre. Specimen from Turnavore mine, St. Agnes, Cornwall

Cassiterite pseudomorphous after orthoclase
Brown granular cassiterite (tin oxide) have replaced twinned orthoclase crystals. Wheal Coates, St. Agnes, Cornwall

Manganite (manganese oxide hydroxide), characterized by short prismatic crystals. This specimen is held at the Natural History Museum, London

Realgar comprises of (arsenic sulphide). It is also known as ruby sulphur and is a rare non-metallic sulphide mineral. Specimen from the Natural History Museum, London

Sohngeite

Wood tin, variety of cassiterite
Dark-brown banded aggregates of cassiterite intergrown with white quartz and black tourmaline. Cassiterite comprises of (tin oxide). This polished specimen is from West Kitty mine, St. Agnes, Cornwall

Trechmannite
A red crystal of trechmannite comprised of (silver arsenic sulphide). A specimen from the collections of the Natural History Museum, London

Goethite comprises of hydrated iron oxide. Picture shows radiating bands within the disc-shaped crystals. This specimen is displayed at the Natural History Museum, London

Pleochroism in an iolite cut stone
This iolite (magnesium aluminium silicate) is displaying pleochroism, a varied colour effect as the gem is turned. See also 3960

Spinel crystal and cut stone
Spinel (magnesium aluminium oxide) crystal from Ruby Mines, Mogok, Burma with spinel cut stone from Sri Lanka. Spinel is found in a red colour and has been previously mistaken for ruby

Anatase
A brown to black single tetragonal crystal of anatase (titanium oxide). Anatase is a polymorph of rutile and brookite, meaning they carry the same chemistry, but with a different structure

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