Oxide Collection

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Many colours of corundum
Ruby and sapphire cut corundum stones viewed through their pavilions. Corundum is the second hardest natural mineral known

Rubies and sapphires
Crystals of ruby from Burma which is the red variety of corundum (aluminium oxide). The other variety is sapphire, this specimen is from Kashmir. The lower left specimen is the Edwardes Ruby

Braunite is a native oxide of manganese. Its crystals are dark brownish black in colour. Specimen from the Natural History Museum, London

Ruby and sapphire gravel
Ruby and sapphire fragments from gem gravels seen on a background of slate. Ruby and sapphire are both varieties of the mineral corundum (aluminium oxide)

Tiger s-eye and Hawk s-eye
Formed when blue crocidolite asbestos is replaced by quartz. Hawk s-eye retains the original colour while tiger s-eye contains a residue of iron oxide

Zincite comprises of (zinc oxide). It is an important ore of zinc, and almost exclusive to one mining locality in New Jersey, U.S.A. Specimen from the Natural History Museum, London

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

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: Ruby

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

Plate 99, from Mineralogie
Various gemstone varieties including diamond, ruby, sapphire, spinel and Topaz. From Recuille complet de Mineralogie vol.3 (1790) by F.L. Swebach Desfontaines

Plate 3 from Histoire naturelle? (1789)
Plate 3, Histoire Naturelle ou Mineralogie Complete from Histoire naturelle: ou, Exposition des morceaux, les mieux choisis pour servir (1789) by by Swebach Desfontaines

Sweetite
A Specimen from the collections held at the Natural History Museum, London from Milltown, Ashover, Derbyshire

Hematite tumblestone

Hematite group
A group of hematite

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

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

Ruby
A six-rayed star ruby. Ruby is the red variety of the mineral corundum (aluminium oxide)

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

Chromite (iron chromium oxide) is the ore of chromium and has an attractive shiny surface. It is used in the manufacture of stainless steel and in metallic paints

Sapphire crystal
Sapphire is a blue variety of corundum, which is the second hardest natural substance known on Earth. Specimen originates from Olberg, Rheinland, now at the Natural History Museum, London

Ruby is a variety of corundum, which is the second hardest natural substance known on Earth. Specimen is originally from Aust-Agder, Norway, and is now on display at the Natural History Museum, London

Brookite
A specimen of the mineral brookite (titanium oxide) from Tremadoc wales. Brookite is a polymorph, it has the same chemical composition as rutile and anatase

Orange sapphire
A rare Sri-Lankan hexagonal cut orange sapphire. Sapphires belong to the corundum group - the second hardest mineral group known

Rutile
A specimen of the mineral rutile (titanium oxide) which is a major ore of the metal titanium. This specimen is from Graves Mountain, Lincoln County, Georgia. USA

Hematite
Iridescent crystalline mass of hematite (iron oxide) from Rio Marina, Elba. Specimen from the collections of the Natural History Museum, London

Baryte crystals
Yellow prisms of the minreal baryte (BaSO4) on hematite (iron oxide) from Dalmellington Mine, Frizington, Cumbria

Citrine and sapphire
Fine and poor examples of gem cutting and polishing. A superbly cut citrine (a yellow variety of quartz) and a poorly cut sapphire (blue), a variety of the mineral Corundum (aluminium oxide)

Fluorescent group
A group including amber, ruby, ivory, fluorite and opal photographed in ultra violet light. See 179 for the same group in white light

Anaesthetic Apparatus
Frankis Evans Nasal Nitrous Oxide apparatus : (lower) Trewbys apparatus [This catalogue contains 2000 pages of medical equipment] Date: 1930

Humphry Davy / Experiments
Humphry Davy, whilst director of the laboratory of the Pneumatic Institution, Clifton, investigates the effects of nitrous oxide (laughing gas)

Paul Bert / Anaesthetics
Dr. Paul Berts method of using compressed nitrous oxide

Rocks, Zinc and Tin
Silicate of zinc, smithsonite, carbonate of zinc, sulphide of zinc and oxide of tin

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