himalaya tourmaline
Naturalist

Bygone Building Blocks

See how people have been utilizing minerals in all sorts of ways, from antiquity to today.
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Aaron Celestian holding a reddish-brown stone with stripes of greenish iridescent stripes next to a closeup of the stone

On View: A Rare Australian Opal in NHM’s Gem and Mineral Hall

Meet a new dazzling black opal and discover the science behind the sparkle with Dr. Aaron Celestian
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Jonker header on black bg

The Jonker Diamond: A Giant Gem of Many Facets

Explore the human and natural history of the Jonker I Diamond
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L. atlantica 2 SEM image

Small Wonders

NHM’s new Scanning Electron Microscope Lab connects guests with big science and tiny specimens.
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An opaque white and transparent mineral with many spiky outgrowths.
Research and Collections

The Secret Power of Zeolite

Our Curator of Mineral Sciences, Aaron Celestian, talks about why this mineral blows his mind!
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Cave of swords
Research and Collections

Gypsum Crystals: Mineral Ships for Alien Life?

Can gypsum crystals hold alien life from Mars? Explore every facet of these incredible crystals with our Mineral Sciences Curator Aaron Celestian.
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The Pink Starburst. Pink diamond.

Fascinating Facets: The Pink Starburst Diamond

The dazzling science behind this precious gem
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celeste diamond square

The Science of Rare Jewels

Explore every facet of gems and jewelry at Brilliance: The Art and Science of Rare Jewels
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Blue Splendor of Ceylon

The Splendor of Sapphires

Earth’s history through the lens of a precious gem
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Gems of the Americas

Gems of the Americas

Take a trip through deep time — via the 1980s — and explore gems with a vintage NHM documentary
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