Raman Explored: Unveiling the past

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Raman Explored: Unveiling the past
A seminar highlighting research breakthroughs in cultural heritage and geoscience

The Natural History Museum | London, UK | 25th February 2025

Discover how the specificity of Raman spectroscopy reveals fakes and forgeries; how it enables conservation of historical artefacts, and how it identifies modern and historical materials. It answers the question ’where does this come from?’ – whether that be material from Stonehenge, the provenance of ivory or the composition of the surface of Mars.

Join us at our upcoming Raman seminar on cultural heritage and geoscience. We have an exciting lineup of confirmed speakers who are leading scientists in their field. Discover the captivating applications of Raman spectroscopy in art authentication, mineralogy, and provenance studies.

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Our confirmed presentations include
"Going where no Raman has gone before: Spectroscopy on Mars" - Joseph Razzell-Hollis, Postdoctoral Researcher, Natural History Museum, London Raman spectroscopy, a vital tool for chemical analysis on Earth, has been utilized on Mars since July 2021. The SHERLOC instrument aboard NASA’s Perseverance rover employs deep-ultraviolet (DUV) Raman spectroscopy to identify minerals and organic compounds, aiding the search for evidence of past life and habitability on Mars. Joseph will summarize the mission’s findings from the first few years and discuss the unique challenges of conducting Raman spectroscopy on another planet.	"Beyond the Brushstroke: Raman spectroscopy and the detection of art forgeries" - Denis Moiseev, CEO and co-founder, Hephaestus Analytical For centuries, art experts have battled forgers in an ongoing arms race, with each side continuously evolving their techniques. In recent years, Raman spectroscopy has emerged as a powerful tool, providing experts with a significant advantage in detecting forgeries. Through a series of case studies, this talk will explore the critical role of Raman spectroscopy in the identification of art forgeries and discuss how this advanced technique could eventually render forgery a relic of the past.
"Exploring the world with Raman inside the SEM"- Jorge Diniz, Senior Application Scientist, Renishaw Multi-modal sample analysis is essential to thoroughly characterise and understand our samples and materials. The inLux™ SEM Raman interface allows simultaneous and colocalised SEM and Raman imaging on one system, determining chemical composition, molecular and crystalline structure, and elemental composition, all at high resolution without moving the sample. We will show how using the inLux interface enhances material understanding and also demonstrate the power and ease of combining these techniques inside a SEM.	"From fossil forgeries to future resources – Raman and Geoscience at University College Cork" - Richard Unitt, Research Fellow, University College Cork Raman is still an emerging technology in the field of geoscience/geology, and we have taken on projects where there are little or no previous studies to provide reference material. As such, we are often leading the way in publishing detailed petrographic Raman maps, sometimes in 3D, as well as developing new methodologies to examine exceptionally preserved fossils. This talk will cover a number of published studies as well as ongoing research where Raman spectroscopy has proved to be an essential tool for enhancing our understanding of the natural world.
"Old objects, new pigments: unexpected findings in cultural heritage collections" - Lucia Burgio, Lead Conservation Scientist, Victoria and Albert Museum, London Occasionally, 'new' pigments can be found unexpectedly within museum collections, hiding in plain sight. In recent years, four of them have been discovered at the V&A on objects from different continents, spanning multiple centuries. Find out more about bismuth white, mercury white, bismuth grey and spherical copper resinate, and learn about the objects that are decorated with them.	"Discrimination of ivory from extant and extinct elephant species using Raman spectroscopy" - Rebecca Shepherd, Senior Lecturer, University of Bristol This talk will discuss non-destructive technologies, such as Raman spectroscopy, that can be used to quickly, relatively inexpensively and non-destructively identify samples unknown sources. These technologies are being developed for use worldwide by law enforcement to ensure that ivory being traded is compliant with any relevant laws and restrictions on ivory trade, but could also have a role in materials identification for object conservation.
"The mineralogical composition of the Altar Stone at Stonehenge" - Sergio Andò, Associate Professor at Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca Megalithic Stone 80 at Stonehenge, the so-called Altar Stone, is a grey-green micaceous sandstone, anomalous for its composition and enigmatic for its provenance. To solve this conundrum, we have collected new mineralogical data with a Renishaw Raman inVia™ on the Altar Stone fragment MS1, which indicates that the Old Red Sandstones in central England are not the source. This mineralogical database was applied for the in-situ, non-destructive investigation of the Altar Stone at Stonehenge, using a Renishaw Virsa™ Raman analyser. This experiment is important as we broaden our horizons in our search for the origin of the Altar Stone in other parts of Britain.	"Raman Spectroscopy: a tool for teaching research-based cultural heritage" - Paul Garside, Lecturer in Conservation Science, University of Glasgow At the Kelvin Centre for Conservation and Cultural Heritage Research (University of Glasgow), Raman spectroscopy has an important role in both research and teaching. It is a particularly useful way of introducing students to complementary analysis (alongside techniques such as XRF and FORS), allowing them to explore strengths and limitations of analysis, in addition to sampling and interpretation. By doing so, they are also able to carry out their own research (recently on important manuscripts such as the Historia de Tlaxcala and the Margarita Philosophica), as well as appreciating staff-led research on materials including iron gall ink and parchment.

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Our speakers:



Sergio Andò Associate Professor, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milano Bicocca	Denis Moiseev CEO and a co-founder, Hephaestus Analytical	Lucia Burgio Lead Conservation Scientist, Victoria and Albert Museum, London	Rebecca Shepherd Senior Lecturer, School of Anatomy, University of Bristol
Sergio’s research focuses on sedimentary petrography using innovative tools, such as Raman spectroscopy for heavy-mineral analysis. Sergio is an Associate Professor at the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences of Milano-Bicocca and he is the Director of the Departmental study centre called "Provenance".	Denis Moiseev is the CEO and a co-founder of Hephaestus Analytical, a leading art authenticator. At Hephaestus Analytical, scientific analysis is used to verify that the age, process, and materials of an artwork are consistent with the attribution. At Hephaestus Analytical, scientific analysis and AI is used to verify that the age, process, and materials of an artwork are consistent with the attribution.	Lucia leads the V&A's scientific examination of the collections, providing information on materials and techniques, methods of construction, date and provenance. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and chairs the AMC Heritage Science Expert Working Group, RSC. Her main interests include pigments and American and Asian lacquer.	Rebecca's research, funded by grants from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office, focusses on developing non-destructive techniques, such as Raman spectroscopy, for use in identification and ageing of ivory from unknown samples


Paul Garside Lecturer, Kelvin Centre for Conservation and Cultural Heritage Science, University of Glasgow	Joseph Razzell-Hollis Postdoctoral Researcher, Natural History Museum, London	Richard Unitt Research Fellow, School of Biological Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork	Jorge Diniz Senior Application Scientist, Renishaw
Paul has a particular interest in plant fibres, weighted silks and textile conservation. Paul has significant experience in the scientific analysis of materials, assessment of long-term properties and environmental responses, and development of risk-management strategies for collection items and projects.	Joseph is currently providing spectral data analysis to support Inuit researchers as they monitor environmental microplastic pollution around Nunatsiavut. Previously, Joseph worked at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California, USA to develop quantitative methodologies for using DUV Raman spectroscopy. His work helped to prepare the SHERLOC instrument for NASA’s Mars 2020 mission.	Richard specialises in petrography and mineralogy, with an interest in roadstone aggregate performance and road surface sustainability. Richard works on multiple projects using Raman spectroscopy, mostly within the geosciences, but also within archaeology, plant science, pharmacy, microelectronics, microplastics and medicine.	Jorge is a seasoned Raman Applications Scientist at Renishaw, with a strong academic background in Chemistry and Materials. Jorge’s PhD research focused on the study of confined phenomena in porous systems using vibrational spectroscopy, including Raman. Jorge has continued to successfully apply his expertise in Raman research instruments across a wide range of application areas.

Please note: Once you register, you will receive a confirmation email with a payment link to secure your booking.

About the event:

Date: 19th September
Time: 9.30am - 5.00pm
Location: Natural History Museum
Fee: £49 payable on confirmation of registration

As part of the event, attendees will be able to enjoy a 30-minute guided tour of the Natural History Museum (subject to availability on the day).

Our confirmed speakers


Denis Moiseev CEO and a co-founder, Hephaestus Analytical	Denis Moiseev is a leading art authenticator. At Hephaestus Analytical, scientific analysis is used to verify that the age, process, and materials of an artwork are consistent with the attribution. At Hephaestus Analytical, scientific analysis and AI is used to verify that the age, process, and materials of an artwork are consistent with the attribution.
Joseph Razell-Hollis	Joseph is currently providing spectral data analysis to support Inuit researchers as they monitor environmental microplastic pollution around Nunatsiavut. Previously, Joseph worked at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California, USA to develop quantitative methodologies for using DUV Raman spectroscopy. His work helped to prepare the SHERLOC instrument for NASA’s Mars 2020 mission.
Sergio Ando	Sergio is an Associate Professor at Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences of Milano-Bicocca. Sergio’s research focuses on sedimentary petrography using innovative tools, such as Raman spectroscopy for heavy-mineral analysis. Sergio is an Associate Professor at the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences of Milano-Bicocca and he is the Director of the Departmental study centre called "Provenance".


Lucia Burgio	Lucia is a Lead Conservation Scientist at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, UK. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, has been an Honorary Research Fellow at UCL since 2001 and has been chairing the AMC Heritage Science Expert Working Group, RSC, since 2014. She specialises in the dating and authentication of artwork, usually with Raman microscopy, X-ray fluorescence and optical microscopy.
Richard Unitt	Richard is a Research Fellow at the School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Ireland. He specialises in petrography and mineralogy, with an interest in roadstone aggregate performance and road surface sustainability. Richard also works on multiple projects using Raman spectroscopy.
Paul Garside	Denis Moiseev is the CEO and a co-founder of Hephaestus Analytical, a leading art authenticator. At Hephaestus Analytical, scientific analysis is used to verify that the age, process, and materials of an artwork are consistent with the attribution. At Hephaestus Analytical, scientific analysis and AI is used to verify that the age, process, and materials of an artwork are consistent with the attribution.