Silicate Collection (page 4)

Jadeite crystal and cut stone
Jadeite comprises of (sodium aluminum iron silicate) and is actually not a mineral outright, but is a variety of the mineral actinolite. Specimens from the Natural History Museum, London

Birthstone Series: Onyx
A specimen of the mineral onyx (GM1703), from the Natural History Museum, London. Onyx is the birthstone for the month of February (along with Amethyst). Photographed by Harry Taylor

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

Talc

Birthstone Series: Sardonyx
A specimen of Sardonyx, a variety of quartz, from the Natural History Museum, London. Sardonyx is the birthstone for the month of August (along with Peridot). Photographed by Harry Taylor

Hemimorphite
A specimen of the mineral hemimorphite (hydrated zinc silicate hydroxide). This mineral was formerly known as calamine

Birthstone Series: Tanzanite
A specimen of tanzanite, from the Natural History Museum, London. Tanzanite is the birthstone for the month of December (along with Zircon and Turquoise). Photographed by Harry Taylor

Cordierite
A specimen of cordierite (magnesium aluminum silicate), a mineral from the class of silicates. Its gemstone variety called iolite is popular among gemstone collectors

Amethyst, baryte dioptase, rhodochrosite
Amethyst, purple crystals from India. Baryte, long yellow prisms from Cumbria. Dioptase, green lustrous crusts from Namibia. Rhodochrosite, pink crystals on quartz

Dancing woman in green serpentine

Cancrinite comprises of (sodium calcium aluminum silicate carbonate) and is one of the rarer members of the feldspathoid group. Specimen from the Natural History Museum, London

Spodumene
A specimen of the mineral spodumene (lithium aluminium silicate). This mineral comes in two varieties, Kunzite and Hiddenite

Birthstone Series: Bloodstone
A specimen of the mineral bloodstone, a variety of quartz. (33974), from the Natural History Museum, London. Bloodstone is the birthstone for the month of March (along with Aquamarine)

Stilbite comprises of (hydrated sodium calcium aluminum silicate) and derives from the Zeolite group. Specimen from the collections of The Natural History Museum, London

Thomsonite

Emerald crystals and cut stone
Emerald is a variety of beryl (beryllium aluminum silicate). The rich, green colour is attributed to small amounts of chromium which is unmatched by any other mineral species

Insect collection by James Petiver (1663-1)
This late 17th century insect collection is unique in that the specimens are mounted and preserved between sheets of the mineral mica

Beryl crystals
Beautifully formed beryly variety crystals of aquamarine, heliodor, morganite and emerald. Beryl comprises of (beryllium aluminum silicate)

Fossil collecting near Aveley, Essex
Palaeontologists collecting the remains of a woolly mammoth and a straight-tusked elephant from a clay pit near Aveley, Essex in 1964

Emeralds
Emerald is a variety of beryl (beryllium aluminum silicate). The green colour is attributed to small amounts of chromium. Specimens from the Natural History Museum, London

Birthstone Series: Peridot
Peridot, a gemstone from the Natural History Museum, London. Peridot is the birthstone for the month of August (along with Sardonyx). Photographed by Frank Greenaway

Birthstone Series: Blue Topaz

Birthstone Series: Topaz
Topaz has a chemical composition of aluminum silicate fluoride hydroxide and is the birthstone for the month of November (along with Citrine). Photographed by Frank Greenaway

Quartz variety amethyst

Asbestos
Geometric asbestos crystals. Asbestos is a dangerous, fibrous amphibole mineral

Thomas Allan (1777-1833)
Portrait of Thomas Allan, an important figure in the history of mineralogy. This is the only known portrait of him. His collection of around 9

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

Kor-i-noor replica
An exact copy of the original Kor-i-noor diamond created from cubic zirconia by John Nels Hatleberg (Cat 157). Photographed by Frank Greenaway

Birthstone Series: Aquamarine
Aquamarine is the blue variety of beryl (beryllium aluminum silicate) and is the birthstone of the month of March. A gemstone from the Natural History Museum collections, in London

Birthstone Series: Garnet
Garnet has a chemical composition of iron aluminium silicate. It is the birthstone of the month of January. Gemstone from the Natural History Museum collections, in London

Axinite

Chalcedony variety of quartz
A specimen of the mineral chalcedony, a variety of quarz, from the Haytor mine, Ilsington, Devon

Enstatite comprises of (magnesium silicate) and derives from the pyroxene group. Specimen from the collections of the Natural History Museum, London

Verdite
Polished surface of a verdite specimen from Jamestown, Transvaal. Verdite is also known as Africas Green Gold. It is a silicate mineral and often used for decorative carving and sculpture

Natrolite
A specimen of the mineral natrolite (Hydrated sodium aluminum silicate), of the group zeolite, from Neubauerberg, Bohemia

Unakite

Zeolite
A zeloite specimen (apophyllite)

Sodalite specimen

Shergottite Sayh al Uhaymir 008, found in Oman in 1999. Shergottites are silicate rocks that are divided into four subgroups. This specimen is about 10cm long

Slice of the lunar meteorite Northwest Africa 482
A slice of lunar meteorite Northwest Africa 482. This meteorite is very rich in the feldspar mineral anorthite, which give it its pale colour

Slab of the Lueders meteorite
A slab of the IAB iron meteorite Lueders showing the size, shapes and distribution of silicate inclusions. The slab is about 10cm wide

Microscope image of the Brachina meteorite, the type specimen of the Brachinite meteorites. Brachinites are composed mostly of olivine with minor amounts of pyroxene and plagioclase

The Parnalle ordinary chondrite
The Parnallee ordinary chondrite, part of the Parnallee meteorite that fell in India in 1857

Porphyritic olivine and pyroxene chondrule
Microscopic image of a porphyritic olivine and pyroxene chondrule from the Palmyra (L3) ordinary chondrite (the chondrule is about 1.8mm across)

Lepidolite

Fuchsite specimen

Carnelian specimen

Citrine specimen

All Professionally Made to Order for Quick Shipping