The Real Museo Mineralogico of the University of Naples Federico II was established in 1801 by Ferdinando IV of Bourbon and his queen, Maria Carolina. Their aim was to create a centre for minerals research and education. The museum at... more
The Real Museo Mineralogico of the University of Naples Federico II was established in 1801 by Ferdinando IV of Bourbon and his queen, Maria Carolina. Their aim was to create a centre for minerals research and education. The museum at present preserves over 50,000 objects, mainly minerals, but also books, teaching models and instruments. The last of these form a little-known collection of considerable scientific and historical value. Historical studies of the instruments collection are based on extensive archival research conducted on documents and ancient catalogues of the museum and the Archivio di Stato in Naples. This study describes the main instruments, detailing their date of acquisition, typology and use. Its goal is to provide a testimony to the contribution of the Real Museo Mineralogico to the development of the science of mineralogy in Naples, and at the same time to extend, by means of new data (suppliers, acquisition methods, price), the catalogue of the instruments co...
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Publication Name: Journal of the History of Collections
For this study, the rare Cu-bearing silicate fumarolic assemblages from the Somma–Vesuvius volcano, Italy, characterised by the rare mineral litidionite, CuKNaSi4O10, were investigated. We report new data about Cu- and Ti-bearing phases... more
For this study, the rare Cu-bearing silicate fumarolic assemblages from the Somma–Vesuvius volcano, Italy, characterised by the rare mineral litidionite, CuKNaSi4O10, were investigated. We report new data about Cu- and Ti-bearing phases found in these mineralisations, in which Ti-bearing litidionite occurs together with kamenevite, perovskite and rutile. Ti-bearing litidionite appears on the latest stages of partial crystallisation of Ti-bearing silica glass. Incorporation of Ti4+ into the litidionite crystal structure was investigated in detail. The Raman spectra of Ti-bearing litidionite contains an intense band at 597 cm−1 related to anti-symmetric bending vibrations of Si‒O bonds or overlapping stretching vibrations of Ti‒O bonds. The bands in the range 350‒500 cm−1 correspond to symmetric bending vibrations of O‒Si‒O bonds and overlapping stretching vibrations of Ti‒O bonds. The crystal structure of Ti-litidionite has been refined in the P $\bar{1}$ space group, a = 6.9699(7), ...
