$Herbert Smith refractometer$ Dr. George Frederick Herbert Smith (1872–1953), was a British

mineralogist Mineralogy is a subject of geology specializing in the scientific study of the chemistry, crystal structure, and physical (including optical) properties of minerals and mineralized artifacts. Specific studies within mineralogy include the proce ...

who worked for the

British Museum of Natural History The Natural History Museum in London is a museum that exhibits a vast range of specimens from various segments of natural history. It is one of three major museums on Exhibition Road in South Kensington, the others being the Science Museum an ...

. He discovered the mineral

paratacamite Paratacamite is a mineral in the halide minerals category. Its chemical formula is . Its name is derived from its association with atacamite. It is found in Chile, Botallack Mine in Cornwall, Broken Hill, Australia, and in Italy in Capo Calamita ...

in 1906. He also developed the first efficient jeweller's refractometer.Mineralogical Society of America information on refractometers
/ref> The mineral

Herbertsmithite Herbertsmithite is a mineral with chemical structure Zn Cu3( OH)6 Cl2. It is named after the mineralogist Herbert Smith (1872–1953) and was first found in 1972 in Chile. It is polymorphous with kapellasite and closely related to paratacamit ...

is named after him,Mindat information page about Herbertsmithite
/ref> as is

Herbert's rock-wallaby Herbert's rock-wallaby (''Petrogale herberti'') is a member of a group of seven very closely related rock-wallabies found in northeastern Queensland, Australia. Herbert's is the most southerly and most widespread of the group. Herbert's rock-wa ...

References

webmineral.com
Has information on Herbertsmithite and brief biographical details. Accessed March 2007
Archives of Herbert Smith's career 1897–1937
at the

Natural History Museum A natural history museum or museum of natural history is a scientific institution with natural history collections that include current and historical records of animals, plants, fungi, ecosystems, geology, paleontology, climatology, and more. ...

External links

* Works b
Herbert Smith
at

Project Gutenberg Project Gutenberg (PG) is a Virtual volunteering, volunteer effort to digitize and archive cultural works, as well as to "encourage the creation and distribution of eBooks." It was founded in 1971 by American writer Michael S. Hart and is the ...

1872 births 1953 deaths British mineralogists Employees of the British Museum {{UK-scientist-stub