Gemstone Collection

Bronze Age
Illustration of objects from a Bronze Age

Birthstone Series: Amythest Quartz
An Amythest quartz specimen. Amythest is a form of quartz that is usually purple in colour, it is the birthstone for the month of March. Natural History Museum specimen number 84817

Petrified Wood close-up

Opal gem with opal rock
The polished gem is from an unknown locality while the rough specimen of opal rock comes from Baracoo River, Queensland, Australia

Earrings, c. 1st century (gold, amethyst and jade)
AMQ115767 Earrings, c.1st century (gold, amethyst and jade) by Byzantine; Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford, UK; eAshmolean Museum; out of copyright

Selection of diamond crystals
Diamond crystals from the Natural History Museum collections

Jasper
A polished slab of jasper from Campsie Fells, Stirlingshire. Jasper is cryptocrystalline agate quartz (silicon dioxide)

Turquoise and blue geode
Rosana Laiz Blursbyai

Colorful Petrified Dinosaur Bone

Garnet Peridotite
Garnet-peridotite, a major constituent in the make-up of the Earth. Image published in Natures Connections An Exploration of Natural History. Published in 2000

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

Beryl
A cut heliodor beryl stone of 135.93 carats. Beryl comprises of beryllium aluminum silicate

Diamond refracting light F008 / 3207
Diamond refracting light

Cut diamond and crystals
A cut diamond surrounded by rough crystals. Diamond is comprised of compacted carbon and is the hardest natural substance known on Earth

Crucifix set with sapphires, zircon, spinel, cairngorm and amethyst. The whole cross is bordered by diamonds

Zircon cut stones
Cut stones showing the natural colour range and lustre of zircon. Zircon is the birthstone of December. It comprises of (zirconium silicate) and is not the same as the artificial gem cubic zircona

Outcrop of gneissic rock almost 40 feet high. Handcoloured copperplate engraving from Gottlieb Tobias Wilhelm's
FLO4727993 Outcrop of gneissic rock almost 40 feet high. Handcoloured copperplate engraving from Gottlieb Tobias Wilhelm's Unterhaltungen aus der Naturgeschichte: Des Mineralreichs, Augsburg

Chinese artists painting porcelain plates to be fired in a low-temperature oven
FLO4727859 Chinese artists painting porcelain plates to be fired in a low-temperature oven. Handcoloured copperplate engraving from Gottlieb Tobias Wilhelm's Unterhaltungen aus der

View of the basalt columns of Giant's Causeway, Antrim, Northern Ireland
FLO4727912 View of the basalt columns of Giant's Causeway, Antrim, Northern Ireland. Handcoloured copperplate engraving from Gottlieb Tobias Wilhelm's Unterhaltungen aus der Naturgeschichte

Interior of a rock salt mine at Northwich, Cheshire. Miners preparing to haul salt up to the surface
FLO4728016 Interior of a rock salt mine at Northwich, Cheshire. Miners preparing to haul salt up to the surface. Handcoloured copperplate engraving from Gottlieb Tobias Wilhelm's Unterhaltungen

Workers harvesting pink salt from the salt lakes near Perekop. Handcoloured copperplate engraving from Gottlieb Tobias
FLO4727977 Workers harvesting pink salt from the salt lakes near Perekop. Handcoloured copperplate engraving from Gottlieb Tobias Wilhelm's Unterhaltungen aus der Naturgeschichte

Geologists studying fossil examples stored 40 to 50 per drawer in a cabinet of curiosities
FLO4727831 Geologists studying fossil examples stored 40 to 50 per drawer in a cabinet of curiosities. Handcoloured copperplate engraving from Gottlieb Tobias Wilhelm's Unterhaltungen aus der

Chinese potter making a porcelain cup on a potter's wheel driven by a laborer
FLO4727817 Chinese potter making a porcelain cup on a potter's wheel driven by a laborer, while another worker arranges cups on a tray 1, and a potter firing porcelain plates in an open oven 2

Gentlemen geologists laboriously search for minerals in a river. Handcoloured copperplate engraving from Gottlieb
FLO4727793 Gentlemen geologists laboriously search for minerals in a river. Handcoloured copperplate engraving from Gottlieb Tobias Wilhelm's Unterhaltungen aus der Naturgeschichte

Chinese potter firing a porcelain plate in a furnace to fix the glaze on it
FLO4727841 Chinese potter firing a porcelain plate in a furnace to fix the glaze on it. Handcoloured copperplate engraving from Gottlieb Tobias Wilhelm's Unterhaltungen aus der Naturgeschichte

A selection of jewelled gold, enamel and pearl Renaissance jewellery (gold, enamel, pearl)
1766468 A selection of jewelled gold, enamel and pearl Renaissance jewellery (gold, enamel, pearl); Private Collection; (add.info.: A selection of jewelled gold)

Basalt columns on a mountainside in Westphalia, Germany. Handcoloured copperplate engraving from Gottlieb Tobias
FLO4727928 Basalt columns on a mountainside in Westphalia, Germany. Handcoloured copperplate engraving from Gottlieb Tobias Wilhelm's Unterhaltungen aus der Naturgeschichte: Des Mineralreichs

View of the basalt columns of Giant's Causeway, Antrim, Northern Ireland
FLO4727943 View of the basalt columns of Giant's Causeway, Antrim, Northern Ireland. Handcoloured copperplate engraving from Gottlieb Tobias Wilhelm's Unterhaltungen aus der Naturgeschichte

Mica and quartz rock formation in Brazil. Handcoloured copperplate engraving from Gottlieb Tobias Wilhelm's
FLO4727886 Mica and quartz rock formation in Brazil. Handcoloured copperplate engraving from Gottlieb Tobias Wilhelm's Unterhaltungen aus der Naturgeschichte: Des Mineralreichs, Augsburg

Cleopatra VII. (illustration 1923)
5975792 Cleopatra VII. (illustration 1923); Private Collection; (add.info.: Story. Ancient Egypt. Queen Cleopatra VII. Sheet music cover: Die Perlen der Cleopatra, operette by Oskar Strauss, Germany)

View of the metal ore veins inside a so-called Stollart in a mountain with unusual parallel veins
FLO4727957 View of the metal ore veins inside a so-called Stollart in a mountain with unusual parallel veins. Handcoloured copperplate engraving from Gottlieb Tobias Wilhelm's Unterhaltungen aus

Science. Production of synthetic diamond in an electric oven . Imagery from a series on the Wonder of Electricity
2638710 Science. Production of synthetic diamond in an electric oven . Imagery from a series on the Wonder of Electricity, France, 1910.; Private Collection; (add.info.: Sciences. Coll)

A group of jadeite jewellry including an antique pendant depicting a nesting bird, a plaque carved as an endless knot
1766462 A group of jadeite jewellry including an antique pendant depicting a nesting bird, a plaque carved as an endless knot, two green pendants and a pair of smoky lavender jade bangles

Gemstone Dreams 2
cartissi

Josefina, 1807-1876, Princess of Leuchtenberg, Queen of Sweden and Norway, mid-19th century. Creator: Johan Way
Josefina, 1807-1876, Princess of Leuchtenberg, Queen of Sweden and Norway, mid-19th century

Charles X Gustav. Creator: Alexander Cooper
Charles X Gustav, Unknown date

Charles X Gustav. Creator: Alexander Cooper
Charles X Gustav, Unknown date

Portrait of Luisa Ulrika, early-mid 18th century. Creator: Antoine Pesne
Portrait of Luisa Ulrika, early-mid 18th century

Maria Anna Victoria, 1718-1781, Princess of Spain. Creator: Anon
Maria Anna Victoria, 1718-1781, Princess of Spain

Pair of Bracelets with Peacocks, 19th century. Creator: Unknown
Pair of Bracelets with Peacocks, 19th century

Relics from the Buried City of Brahmunabad, in Sind - Pottery, Fragments of Mills, etc, 1857. Creator: Unknown
Relics from the Buried City of Brahmunabad, in Sind - Pottery, Fragments of Mills, etc, 1857. 8th- or 9th-century objects excavated at his own expense by Mr. A. F

Relics from the Buried City of Brahmunabad, in Sind - Pottery, Ironwork, Glass, etc, 1857. Creator: Unknown
Relics from the Buried City of Brahmunabad, in Sind - Pottery, Ironwork, Glass, etc, 1857. 8th- or 9th-century objects excavated at his own expense by Mr. A. F

Design for a tile, c.1850. Creator: Anon
Design for a tile, c.1850. Vine leaves and cabochons around a square medallion

Nature's Gems, c.1844. Creator: Edwin Whitefield
Nature's Gems, c.1844

Gem Engraving, from Encyclopédie, 1762/77. Creator: Benoit-Louis Prevost
Gem Engraving, from Encyclopedie, 1762/77

Lotus Gemstone
Toshifumi C

The Imperial State Crown, 1937. Creator: Unknown
The Imperial State Crown, 1937. From " The Crowning of The King and Queen". [Evans Brothers Limited, London, 1937]

Earrings (gold & garnet)
HSC270519 Earrings (gold & garnet) by Parthian, (2nd century AD); each height: 5.9 cm; Private Collection; Photo eHeini Schneebeli; Iranian, out of copyright

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Gemstones have captivated humanity for centuries, their beauty and allure transcending time. From the mesmerizing Petrified Wood close-up to the enchanting Birthstone Series featuring Amythest Quartz, these precious stones hold a special place in our hearts. The Opal gem with opal rock showcases nature's artistry at its finest, while the ancient Earrings from the 1st century adorned with gold, amethyst, and jade remind us of our rich cultural heritage. Travel back in time to the Bronze Age where gemstones were treasured as symbols of power and prestige. Marvel at the exquisite Selection of diamond crystals that sparkle like stars in the night sky. Discover Jasper's earthy tones that evoke a sense of grounding and stability. Unearthed from history's depths is the Colorful Petrified Dinosaur Bone, reminding us of Earth's ancient inhabitants. Delve into the fiery depths with Garnet Peridotite or get lost in Benitoite's ethereal blue hues. Beryl dazzles with its range of colors - from serene aquamarine to vibrant emerald green. Witness Diamond refracting light F008 / 3207 as it dances gracefully within its facets, illuminating any room it graces. Each gemstone tells a unique story; each one holds an intrinsic value beyond measure. Whether you're drawn to their aesthetic appeal or believe in their metaphysical properties, there is no denying that gemstones possess an undeniable charm that has stood the test of time.