Ever heard of a thorite, an aegerite or even a vikingnite? Well now is your chance to see these rare minerals in-person! 👀 Minerals of the Viking Age is a new pop-up installation at the Museum curated by Dr Kieran Meaney, our Assistant Collection Manager of Mineralogy. These minerals trace the paths of Viking traders, the artistry of their craftsmen, and the natural materials that shaped their world, continuing the exhibition’s story through the museum’s collection. 🔹 Thorite: Named after Thor

Quartz sphere with Thorite inclusion - Madagascar More info: https://www.irocks.com/minerals/specimen/53267 A beautiful quartz sphere that is completely transparent and colorless with the exception of a pair of small brownish "apparitions" in the center. I picked this up at a carving warehouse in China after it had been cut, because of the unusual patterns within. After some work in the lab, it was determined that these inclusions are radiation patterns hiding a radioactive crystal within that e