Building and Decorative Stones Collection
Verde Antico: a serpentine in common use in Imperial Rome, the early quarries being situated near the ancient town of Atrax.
The Building and Decorative Stones Collection totals approximately 10,000 specimens and as such is one of the largest documented collections in the UK. Its strength and importance lie in the wide variety of UK and European rocks, the sources of which are no longer obtainable.
Portoro Buono: Cretaceous black marble with gold-coloured veins from Porto Venere, near Spezia, Ligu
The Collection was set up by a nationwide survey of all building stones as a result of a devastating fire at the Palace of Westminster in 1834. Special collections within the main collection include the Nicholson Collection of marble and decorative stones, The London Natural History Society Collection of marbles, and two table tops decorated with Corsi Marble. There is also a unique collection of roadstones and macadams, which contain's samples of rock from quarries used to dress road surfaces. A small collection of stone arteifacts from Ancient Rome is a valuable resource for archaeologists.
'Royal Blue' from Fjeldheim Quarry, Vestfjord, Norway
The bulk of the Collection is housed on the third floor of the Earth Sciences Building in three banks of dust-proof wooden cabinets and in three wooden bench cases. Most of the specimens that were exhibited on the second floor of the Earth Science Galleries are now displayed in their original cabinets at the east end of the third floor gallery, where they are readily accessible. The marble and decorative stones are arranged according to colour, while the building stones are divided according to the rock types: sandstone, limestone, granite and slate.
Granite from Tor Down Quarry, Bodmin Moor, Cornwall, UK
The Collection is used by geologists, designers, architects and archaeologists for identifying and locating the source of unusual stones. There is also renewed interest in sourcing stones for the restoration of the older buildings and monuments in our major cities which have suffered from air pollution.
Ancaster Stone: a Jurassic limestone from Lincolnshire, UK
Arrangements to view the Collection can be made through: David Smith.
Please allow a minimum of 48 hours notice of your arrival. A fee is required for all commercial enquiries.
For more information contact: David Smith
Back to Rock collections.