The hardest natural material — pure carbon locked in a cubic lattice

One of Earth's most abundant minerals — the crystal in your watch and your windowsill

The mineral family that gives us emerald, aquamarine, and morganite

The crystal structure powering next-generation solar cells

The glittering iron sulfide crystal that fooled gold prospectors for centuries

The glassy, vividly coloured mineral that gave fluorescence its name

Earth's most magnetic mineral — the original compass needle

A brilliant gemstone prized for its golden and blue hues

The oldest mineral on Earth — crystals found in Australia are over 4 billion years old

The deep red garnet — a classic gemstone worn since ancient times

The sky-blue gemstone treasured by ancient Egyptians and Native Americans

The precious mineral at the heart of Imperial Jade, prized for millennia in East Asia

A vivid deep-blue copper mineral used as a pigment by Renaissance painters

The crystal behind marble, limestone, and the shells of sea creatures

The mineral family that gives us rubies and sapphires — pure aluminium oxide

A green-to-orange garnet gemstone — January's birthstone in crystalline form

The deep red iron ore that has coloured pigments and jewellery for millennia

The vivid green copper mineral prized as a gemstone and pigment for thousands of years

The deep red garnet variety found in volcanic rocks and some meteorites

The mineral that gives white paint its brightness — and colours some gemstones

The vivid red ore of mercury, prized as a pigment for millennia

The gemstone mistaken for ruby in crown jewels for centuries — now a prized collector's stone

The crystal form of calcium carbonate found in pearls and coral reefs

The iridescent copper ore nicknamed 'peacock ore' for its vivid purple and blue tarnish