Iron Rose and Chrysanthemum Stone

In the exhibition Iron Rose and Chrysanthemum Stone, the Mineralogical Collection explores the theme of ‘flower names’ in mineral nomenclature. When naming unknown rocks or minerals, some mineralogists liked to draw on familiar objects. Sometimes the appearance or properties of a mineral were compared to those of plants, such as their shape or colour. The appearance of chrysanthemum stone is reminiscent of a chrysanthemum flower, whilst the structure of iron rose resembles that of a rose blossom due to its many platy haematite crystals.

Many minerals have the suffix ‘blossom’ in their historical names, as in iron blossom or nickel blossom. The name iron blossom is a reference to its floral character. The term nickel blossom hints at the way the mineral forms: it grows anew on a rock or ore, it ‘blossoms’ out, as it were.

The floral-like colourfulness of many minerals found its way into numerous mineral names in earlier times. References of botanical origin can be found, for example, in rose quartz, raspberry spar, rhodochrosite, prase or olivine.

This diverse thematic area is presented as an exhibition feature in the two mineral halls of the Natural History Museum.