World's biggest stibnite crystal goes on display

(5 Apr 2007)
1. Tilt up exterior of New York City American Museum of Natural History
2. Medium of crowd waiting on museum steps in the rain
3. Zoom of 1,000-pound ((450 kilogram)stibnite rock with crystals
4. SOUNDBITE (English) George Harlow, Curator of Minerals and Gems at Museum of Natural History:
"Well, this specimen was a recent gift from Mark Weill. It is a superb, fabulous, outstanding, specimen of stibnite, which is an antimony sulfide from the Wuling mine in the Jiangxi province in China."
5. Tilt up from children to crystal
6. Pan from visitors to woman and child looking at crystal
7. Various of crystal
8. SOUNDBITE (English) George Harlow, Curator of Minerals and Gems at Museum of Natural History:
"Many Chinese minerals are being distributed around the world. Partially, the opening of China and the industrialisation means that both the Chinese are becoming more aware of the mineral market and the people who collect minerals and mineral museums are more aware of what's available in China. So it's part of kind of a large education and I guess you call it kind of a globalisation that's going on."
9. Close-up of crystal
STORYLINE:
A stunning 1,000-pound (450 kilogram) piece of stibnite crystal went on display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York city on Wednesday.
The crystal, which can be used to make flame retardants and engine bearings, made the trip all the way from China so museum-goers could see what is believed to be the largest specimen of its kind.
Originally discovered by miners in the Jiangxi province in southeast China, the crystal -- made from the elements antimony and sulphur -- boasts knife-like crystals.
George Harlow, Curator of Minerals and Gems at the Museum of Natural History, said the crystal was the largest stibnite specimen on display in the world.
"Well, this specimen was a recent gift from Mark Weill," he said, referring to a gem collector.
"It is a superb, fabulous, outstanding, specimen of stibnite, which is an antimony sulfide from the Wuling mine in the Jiangxi province in China," he said.
Harlow said it was miraculous that the the crystal had survived the mining process.
"Many Chinese minerals are being distributed around the world. Partially, the opening of China and the industrialisation means that both the Chinese are becoming more aware of the mineral market and the people who collect minerals and mineral museums are more aware of what's available in China. So it's part of kind of a large education and I guess you call it kind of a globalisation that's going on," said Harlow.
The crystal was likely formed 130 million (m) years ago when water heated by volcanic activity dissolved antimony and sulphur, and flowed between layers of limestone.
The plan is for the crystal to be displayed at the museum indefinitely.
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