Mineralogy treasures

The collections in Mineralogy consist of well over a third of a million individual specimens and are assembled into four broad groups of materials: a systematic mineral collection (about 180,000 specimens); the petrology collection, including building stones, (about 120,000 rock specimens); meteorites (3000 specimens); and the ocean bottom deposits (40,000 specimens) There are also about 30,000 ore specimens from a wide range of mineral deposits. There are two major mineral collections which are kept as distinct entities - the Russell collection of British minerals (12,000 specimens) and the Ashcroft Swiss collection (7,000 specimens). There are almost two hundred specimens that came from the original Sloane collection (1753) including two trays of 'medicinal' material. Specimens from other early collections [Hatchett (1799), Cracherode (1799), Greville (1810), von Born (1810), etc.] are dispersed in the systematic collection. The main Treasures of the Mineral Department are exhibited in Museum's Galleries.

Minerals

United Kingdom

Baryte, Dalmellington mine, Cumbria (UK finest, colour)

Baryte, Mowbray mine, Cumbria (UK finest)

Baryte, Parkside mine, Cumbria (UK finest)

Bournonite, Herdosfoot mine, Cornwall (UK finest)

Brookite. BM 26967. Tremadoc, Caernarvonshire. BM main collection. (UK finest)

Calcite, Egremont, Cumbria (UK finest)

Connellite, Wheal Gorland, Cornwall (UK finest, Russell)

Cronstedtite, Wheal Jane, Cornwall (Locality for species, growth, form)

Cuprite. BM 46255. Phoenix mine, Liskeard, Cornwall. BM main collection. (excellent for locality, species)

Goethite, Restormel mine, Cornwall (UK finest)

Greenockite, Bishopton, Renfrewshire (UK finest)

Halite, Boulby mine, Cleveland (Growth, form)

Matlockite, Bage mine, Derbyshire (UK finest)

Siderite. BM.21338. Virtuous Lady mine, Tavistock, Devon. (growth and form)

Tetrahedrite, Herdosfoot mine, Cornwall (UK finest)

World

Acanthite. Himmelfahrt mine, Freiberg, Saxony. (Locality, excellent).

Adularia, Haslital, Switzerland

Alabandite, Broken Hill, New South Wales (Locality)

Anatase. Binn, Valais, Switzerland. (Excellent)

Apatite, magnetite, Stubachtal, Austria

Argyrodite, Himmelsfurst mine, Freiberg

Atacamite, Wallaroo, South Australia

Axinite, Bourg d ‘Oisans, France

Azurite, Chessy, France

Azurite, Tsumeb, Namibia

Bertrandite, Tongwha, South korea

Beryl morganite, Galiliea, Minas Gerais, Brazil (Gem, growth, colour)

Brazilianite, Galilea, Minas Gerais, Brazil (Colour)

Brookite, Bristenstock, Switzerland

Cafarsite, Binn, Valais, Switzerland

Carminite, Tsumeb, Namibia

Cinnabar, Mayang River, China (Curiosity,

Cobaltite, Tunaberg, Sweden

Cronstedtite, Chiuzbaia, Romania (Locality for species, growth, form)

Diopside, Val d’Ala, Turin, Italy

Elbaite, San Peiro, Elba, Italy

Epidote, Knappenwand, Salzburg, Austria (Growth, form, fascination)

Euclase. Lukangasi mica claim, Tanzania. BM main collection. (Excellent)

Hambergite, Madagascar

Hauerite, Raddusa, Sicily, Italy

Ilmenorutile, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Kesterite, Tatasi, Bolivia

Malachite, Bisbee, Cochise Co., Arizona

Malachite, Wissen, Siegerland

Miargyrite, Freiberg, Saxony

Milarite , Val Giuf, Switzerland (Ashcroft)

Mimetite, Johanngeorgenstadt, Germany (Berold History)

Molybdenite, Aldfield, Quebec, Canada (Growth)

Opal, Australia

Peridot, St. John’s Island, Egypt (World finest, Gem)

Polybasite, La Chispas, Arizpe, Mexico

Pyromophite, Bad Ems, FRG

Pyrosmalite, Nordmark, sweden

Quartz gwindel, Tavetsch, Switzerland (Ashcroft, growth)

Raspite, Broken Hill, New South Wales (World great, locality)

Rutile, hematite Binn, Wallis, Switzerland

Scheelite, Breitenbrunn, Saxony, GDR

Schultenite, Tsumeb, Namibia

Scorodite, Cabrestante, Zacatecas, Mexico (World finest)

Stephanite, Himmelsfurst mine, Freiberg

Stolzite, Broken Hill, New South Wales (World great, locality)

Topaz, Alabashka, Russia

Veszelyite, Zaire

Walpurgite, Schneeberg, Saxony

Wavellite, Llallagua, Potosi, Bolivia

Weloganite, Francon quarry, Montreal, Canada

Wulfenite, Tsumeb, Namibia

Meteorites

Allende

Barwell (large UK fall, lots of smaller bits, more robust)

Henbury (iron meteorite)

Canyon Diablo

Estherville

Other

Captain Scott rock samples

Sloane medicine chests

Contact

John Jackson
Science Policy Co-ordinator
Science Directorate
Natural History Museum
London
SW7 5BD