Mineral systematics

We are studying the fundamentals of mineral diversity as a record of the dynamic geological and environmental processes that have shaped Earth.

We explore geodiversity and discover minerals new to science. This work links with our collection and research activities and helps us understand natural processes and the Mineral Kingdom.

Our projects

Diversity in the Mineral Kingdom

Using the mineral collection as a reference point, we are exploring how chemical, structural and property changes influence the diversity of Mineral Kingdom.

A woman leans inside a cabinet of displayed gem stones, she is wearing a glove and is rearranging the display — Robin Hansen installs a magnificent specimen of the rare mineral tanzanite into the Vault Gallery at the Museum.

Mineralogical geodiversity of the British Isles

The British Isles are a mineralogically diverse region with new mineralogical associations discovered every year.

The geology of the British Isles represents a huge portion of geological time and a large array of geological environments. We are striving to ensure representative material is preserved in the national mineral collection.

New minerals and structures

We characterise, name and acquire minerals new to science.

Secondary tellurium minerals

What is the mobility of tellurium in the natural environment? We are characterising secondary tellurium minerals that represent an extremely diverse group of minerals.

Fundamental mineral nomenclature

How we classify, name, systematize and characterise mineral substances has a profound impact on the evolution of mineralogical sciences and influences how mineralogical knowledge is used by the scientific community.

News and publications

Vymazalová A., Subbotin V.V., Laufek F., Savchenko Y.E., Stanley C.J., Gabov D.S., Plasil J. (2021) Panskyite, Pd9Ag2Pb2S4, a new platinum group mineral from the Southern Kievey ore occurrence of the Fedorova-Pana layered intrusion, Kola Peninsula, Russia. Mineralogical Magazine 85: 161-171

Missen O.P., Rumsey M.S, Mills S.J., Weil M., Najorka J., Spratt J., Kolitsch U. (2021) Elucidating the natural–synthetic mismatch of Pb2+Te4+O3: The redefinition of fairbankite to Pb122+(Te4+O3)11(SO4). American Mineralogist 106: 309–316.

Mills S.J., Kartashov P.M., Kampf A.R., Rumsey M.S., Ma C., Stanley C.J., Spratt J., Rossman G.R., Novgorodova M.I. (2021) Native tungsten from the Bol'shaya Pol'ya river valley and Mt Neroyka, Russia. Mineralogical Magazine

Hatert F., Mills S.J., Hawthorne F.C., Rumsey M.S. (2021) A comment on “An evolutionary system of mineralogy: Proposal for a classification of planetary materials based on natural kind clustering. American Mineralogist 106: 150–153.

BBC NEWS Feature with Mike Rumsey on the discovery of a new mineral on a 220 year old rock in the collection – Kernowite

Kasatkin A.V., Nestola F., Skoda R., Chukanov N.V., Agakhanov A.A., Belkovskiy D., Lanza A., Hola M., Rumsey M.S. (2020) Hingganite-(Nd), Nd2□Be2Si2O8(OH)2, a new gadolinite-supergroup mineral from Zagi Mountain, Pakistan. Canadian Mineralogist 58: 549-562

Vymazalová A., Cabral A.R., Laufek F., Ließmann W., Stanley C.J., Lehmann B. (2020) Roterbärite, PdCuBiSe3, a new mineral species from the Roter Bär mine, Harz Mountains, Germany. Mineralogy and Petrology 114: 443-451