A rare and striking blue mineral, discovered in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco, has been put on public display for the first time in the Natural History Museum's mineral gallery in London. The mineral, known as bluebellite, was first identified by museum scientists in the 1990s from specimens found in Morocco.
According to the museum, bluebellite is an iodate mineral, a class known for its vibrant colors but extreme rarity. Its intense blue coloration comes from its copper content. The specific specimen now on display was acquired by the museum in 1999 and has been part of its scientific collection for study since then.
The decision to move it to a public gallery makes this unique geological find accessible to visitors. The display highlights not only the mineral's aesthetic beauty but also its scientific significance, contributing to the understanding of mineral formation in unique geological environments.
The Natural History Museum's mineral collection is one of the most comprehensive in the world, containing over 185,000 specimens. The addition of bluebellite to the public galleries underscores the ongoing process of discovery and curation that brings new scientific finds from the field to the public eye.
