Images Dated 17th April 2013 (page 70)

Absorption spectrum of zircon
Zircon (Zirconium silicate) is the birthstone for December. Zircon has been used as a gemstone, and has sometimes been used as a substitute for diamond

Amber on a Norfolk beach
Amber is a fossilised form of tree resin. Baltic amber is occasionally washed up on the beaches of eastern Britain

Hemimorphite crystals enclosed in rock crystal
Hemimorphite, formerly known as calamine is comprised of (hydrated zinc silicate hydroxide). Magnification = x1.2

Columba livia, Jjacobine pigeon (domestic)
Watercolour by Edward Lear (c. 1835), Charles Darwin estimated that there were 150 different species of domestic pigeons

Ostrea sp. oyster with pearls
Oysters are bivalve molluscs found on the sea bed. Pearls, are smooth, spherical objects which can form inside their shells. They are considered valuable and are farmed and used to make jewellery

Kornerupine (magnesium aluminum iron boro-silicate hydroxide) is a rare boro-silicate mineral which occurs in a range of greens and browns - this emerald colour is exceptional

A large cut citrine
Citrine is the yellow and orange variety of quartz (silicon dioxide). Specimen held at the Natural History Museum, London

Rough and polished coral specimens
Rough and polished pink and white coral specimens held at the Natural History Museum, London

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)

Cordierite variety Iolite
Iolite comprises of (magnesium aluminum silicate) and is also known as the water sapphire

Benitoite cut stone
Benitoite was discovered in 1906 near the San Benito river in California which remains the only known locality for this (barium titanium silicate) mineral

Tanzanite crystal and cut stone
This is a blue variety of the mineral zoisite. Strongly pleochroic it displays rich blue, magenta and yellowish-grey colours when viewed from different angles

Fibrolite is an aluminium silicate. It is a rare variety of the mineral sillimanite. This stone from Burma shows blueish-violet and pale yellow pleochroic colours

Kunzite crystal and cut stone
Kunzite (lithium aluminum silicate) is the pink variety of spodumene. It is pleochroic and cleaves easily along two crystal directions, so is difficult to cut

Spodumene crystal and cut stone
Large spodumene crystal and cut gemstone from Brazil. Spodumene is a rock forming mineral in granites and pegmatites and comprises of (lithium aluminum silicate)

Lapis lazuli from Afghanistan
Polished slab of lapis lazuli containing some brassy-coloured pyrite. Lapis lazuli (sodium calcium aluminum silicate sulphur sulphate) is a rich blue opaque, semi-precious stone

Andalusite cut stone
Andalusite is an aluminium silicate. It shows spectacular red and green pleochroic colours

Malachite cameo and malachite-chrysocolla mass. Malachite (copper carbonate hydroxide), has a distinctive green banding and belongs to the carbonate class

Belt-hook in lapis lazuli
Carved chinese belt-hook on a piece of rough lapis lazuli from Badakhstan. Lapis lazuli (sodium calcium aluminum silicate sulphur sulphate) is a rich blue opaque, semi-precious stone

Polished slab of rhodonite
A pink specimen of rhodonite (manganese iron magnesium calcium silicate). Rhodon is greek for rose

Lapis lazuli from Siberia
A polished slab of Siberian Lapis lazuli containing white calcite and some brassy pyrite. Lapis lazuli means blue rock, with the rich colour due to the sulphur in its composition

A group of feldspar specimens
Amazonstone crystals and gems, pin set with sunstone, and moonstones. The feldpars are significant rock building minerals

Carved nephrite
A tiki from New Zealand (left), a seal from British Colombia, and a Chinese vase all carved from nephrite. Nephrite is actually not a mineral outright, but is a variety of the mineral actinolite

Turquoise vein in shale
Turquoise (hydrated copper aluminum phosphate) vein in shale, from Victoria, Australia. Turquoise is perhaps the most valuable non-transparent mineral

A collection of turquoise specimens
Rough, polished and worked specimens of turquoise (Hydrated Copper Aluminum Phosphate). Turquoise is perhaps the most valuable of the non-transparent minerals

Turquoise
Four different examples of worked turquoise. Turquoise (hydrated copper aluminum phosphate) is perhaps one of the most valuable non-transparent minerals

Carved nephrite bowl
Nephrite is actually not a mineral outright, but is a variety of the mineral actinolite

Polished slab of jade

Tourmaline crystal
A bi-coloured pink and green tourmaline crystal from California

Nephrite owl carving
Stages in carving an owl in nephrite. Nephrite is actually not a mineral outright, but is a variety of the mineral actinolite

Demantoid garnet cut stone
Demantoid is a variety of andradite garnet. It is green in colour, sometimes with yellow shading

Faceted chrysoberyl
Two cut stones of the gemstone chrysoberyl (beryllium aluminum oxide). This stone is also known as cats eyes

Brown and blue zircons
Natural brown and heat-treated blue zircons. Zircon comprises of (zirconium silicate) and is not the same as the artificial gem cubic zircona

Chrysoberyl cats eyes
Two stones of Chrysoberyl (beryllium aluminum oxide), illustrating the similarity the gemstone has with a cats eye

Zircon crystal
Zircon comprises of (zirconium silicate) and is not the same as the artificial gem cubic zircona. Specimen is from Norway

Garnet cut stones
Grossular (calcium aluminum silicate) and demantoid cut gems resting on andradite (calcium iron silicate) crystals. All of which are types of garnet

Quartz box and carved lizard
An ornamental box set with different quartz stones (silicon dioxide) including a large central citrine together with a carved lizard in cat s-eye quartz

A cross section of the Earth showing the mantle (the thick outer layer), the core (the inner layer) and the inner core (the centre)

Circaetus gallicus, short-toed eagle
A watercolour by an unknown artist, part of the Lord Ashton Collection

Rhipidura albicollis, white-throated fantail nest
A painting by Khuleelooddeen, (c. 1830-40)

Coracina melashistos, dark-collared cuckoo-shrike nests
A painting by Khuleelooddeen, (c. 1830-40)

Certhia himalayana, himalayan treecreeper
A gouache by Khuleelooddeen, (c. 1830-40)

Grus anigone, Sarus crane eggs
Gouache by an unknown artist, (c. 1830-40). Part of the Jardine Collection

Heterophasia gracilis, grey sibia
A gouache by Khuleelooddeen, (c. 1830-40). Originally published in William Jardines Contributions to Ornithology, 1853. Part of the Jardine Collection

Alcedo hercules, great blue kingfisher
An illustration by an unknown artist, (c. 1830-40). Part of the Jardine Collection

Macheiramphus alcinus, bat hawk
A hand-coloured lithograph by Joseph Wolf, (c. 1860). This bird of prey hunts at dusk for bats. Native to Africa, South East Asia and New Guinea. Part of the Jardine Collection

Lepidotes, fossil fish

Pentacrinites, crinoid
Pentacrinites is a fossil crinoid from the Jurassic. Crinoids are ancient, marine organisms. The majority have long stalks anchored to the bottom

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