Grand Opening of The Vault01 Dec 2007 By Robin Wednesday 28th November saw the opening of 'The Vault' the new permanent gallery at the Natural History Museum in London. It was a treat to be invited to the opening party, a very spiffy event with a guest list including actors, politicians and people from the upper echelons of the Gemstone/Jewellery industry and the Mineral business. Dame Helen Mirren was one of the special guests to attend the event.
The Vault is a permanent gallery of treasures, featuring mineral specimens, gemstones and meteorites from the Museum's collection, and from private collections around the world. All are exceptional pieces with stories to tell. For those that know the museum, the Vault is located at the far end of the Systematic Mineral Galley in the circular area that used to house the meteorites. The circular area has been completely revamped with modern white cases, and individual cases inset in the walls. The displays are superb with excellent mounting and lighting, and informative labels. As only select specimens are on display everything is laid out with plenty of room.
Built in in the 1880s, the Natural History Museum is an amazing place, Romanesque in architecture and purpose built with elaborate detail of plants and animals in the stonework both on the exterior and interior of the building. It was decked out for the event with flaming torches at the entrance, candles lining the grand staircase and coloured uplighting highlighting the stonework, really setting the scene.
The entrance to the Museum
 The grand staircase  The Systematic Mineral Gallery
Cocktails and canapes were served on the balcony around the Central hall, and guests had to queue to enter the Mineral Galley and the Vault so it would not be too crowded. And it was worth the wait.
A
selection of Golds from privated collections, including a large Hope's
Nose Gold on the bottom right hand corner, and the amazing Gold wire
from Venezula in the top left hand corner, rivalling that of The Harvard Museum. Note also the incredible Kongsberg Silver wire glimpsed at
the edge of the left hand side.
A huge Sperrylite crystal approx 3cm across, from Africa, and behind a massive Platinum nugget from the Ural Mts, Russia, dating from 1875.
 A large Martian meteroite, seen falling to earth in Egypt in 1911.
 The Latrobe Nugget, one of the finest examples of crystallised gold. Weighing 717 grammes, it was found in 1853 at McIvor mine, Victoria, Australia.
The following three photos are of an Chrysoberyl var Alexandrite specimen over 10cm in length, with excellent cyclic twinning from Tokovaya Mine, Russia; and a cut Alexandrite stone 27 carats from Sri Lanka. My photos are terrible, but check out the amazing colour change of the gemstone. Incredible! It also highlights just how well this exhibit is put together, with the stone changing colour in front of your eyes.
The Devonshire Emerald, one of the biggest known at 1,384 carats, found in Muzo, Colombia. This was displayed at the famous Great Exhibition in London in 1851.
The following was my favourite from the exhibit - The Aurora Collection. A group of 296 naturally coloured diamonds collected by Alan Bronstein and Harry Rodman of Aurora Gems, New York. This collection was also on display at the Diamonds exhibit held previously at the Natural History Museum and blew me away then. We had the pleasure of chatting to Alan and his wife Annette after the party about his passion, starting this collection over 25 years ago.
The Aurora Collection under natural light.  The Aurora Collection under UV showing the varying fluorescence of the coloured diamonds.
 A huge Wulfenite from Glove Mine, AZ, USA, part of the Museum's collection,  A huge Bournonite specimen from Herodsfoot Mine in Cornwall bought in 1868 by the Museum from Cornish dealer Richard Talling. No other specimen of this size or quality has been found!  A very cool Siderite specimen, epimorphous after Fluorite from Virtuous Lady Mine, Devon. Siderite was deposited around a cube of Fluorite creating this box, but it is unsure how the Fluorite dissolved away without the Siderite being effected. This mine is famous for the hollow casts, and this is the best example known.  An exhibit like this would not be complete without a fabulous Rhodochrosite from Sweet Home Mine, CO, USA, from the collection of Bryan and Katherine Lees (The Collector's Edge).  The Museum's largest cut stone on the left - a Topaz from Mine De Francisco, Minas Gerais, Brazil, of 2,982 carats; and on the right are two superb examples of Imperial Topaz from Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The cut stone is 96.65 carats - exceptional for its size and clarity.  A super Tourmaline specimen, and cut stone from Minas Gerais, Brazil exhibiting the stunning watermelon colours of central pink to a green outer.  There is an informative video commentary, featuring several people discussing different part of the exhibit - here Ian is caught discussing gold specimens. The Vault is a permanent gallery, however the displays are not permanent, with the specimens and stones expected to change every year or so.
Back to the party:
 Ida and Jolyon Ralph of www.Mindat.org looking very swish.  Head of Mineral Collections Alan Hart and his wife Andrea.  My finac é Chris (left) with Mike Rumsey, Curator of Mineralogy at the Museum  A rare photo of David Lloyd in a suit, with his wife Audrey.  Dave and Liz Hacker  Ian and Emma  Luke with finac ée Rebecca .jpg) Alan and Ian. Huge congratulations must go to Alan Hart (touted by the newspapers
as the 'King of Bling') as well as the rest of the Minerals Department, and everyone
else involved with setting up of the Vault, it is a fabulous gallery!
And well worth the visit to see such spectacular minerals, and entry is free! Well what are you still sitting there for?? Back to the News List
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