Two corundum crystals mounted on metal stems like two little lollipops. They both have an elongate bipyramidal shape - like a long tube with tapered ends. The one on the left is a sapphire and it's pale blue. The one on the left is a ruby and it's cherry red in colour. On display in the Natural History Museum, London.
Rubies are red
Sapphires are blue
Do you love #minerals
As much as I do?
#GeoValentine #ScienceValentines
An outcrop of a Banded Iron Formation showing several layers of rock of varying red, tan, and reddish hues. A foot provides a sense of scale. These rock layers were first folded (shown by the layers that are bent) and then faulted (shown by their being offset).
Folding is ductile
Faulting is brittle
Apply some heat and stress,
To deform rock a little!
Not my best effort at Valentine's doggerel, but it was inspired by my intro lecture today! #GeoValentine
Mars is still red,
But now Neptune is not blue,
They killed Pluto already,
Are they coming for you?!
#GeoValentine #PlanetSci 🧪⚒️🔭
Roses are red, 🌹
Bobkingite is blue, 💙
First found at Cliffe Hill Quarry, 🔎
Spain and Greece have found some too! 🇪🇸🇬🇷
#GeoValentine
Clusters of fine white valentinite needles on a black matrix. From Malacky, Slovakia Specimen on display in the Natural History Museum, London.
Groups of platy, beige valentinite crystals with pyrite on a black matrix. From Tatasi, Bolivia. Specimen on display in the Natural History Museum, London.
45 of #365Minerals 🧪⚒️
Valentinite:
- An antimony oxide mineral
- Forms via the weathering of stibnite and other antimony #minerals
- Named after Basilius Valentinus, a 15th century alchemist
Happy Valentine's Day! #ScienceValentines #GeoValentine 💕
Rubies are red,
sapphires are blue,
because Al3+ substitutes
for Ti4+ and Fe2+
#GeoValentine
