Fluorescent Mineral Gallery 2
NOTE: The SWUV photos were taken using a SuperBright SW2000 from www.uvsystems.com and the LWUV photos used a UVLS-26P from www.uvp.com. Depending on the type and power of the lamp you use, the fluorescence you get from these specimens may differ from the photos.
click
on image for larger view image
on right is in SWUV
click on
image for larger view image
on right is in SWUV
TPZ5-03 Topaz,
Fluorite (yellow in SWUV!) and
Quartz Included by Fluorite, Phlogopite and Unknown $350
SOLD
Un
San Mine, Hunan Province, China
8 cm x 5.3 cm x 3.3 cm
A shard of matrix is enveloped on both sides by beautifully developed
(some doubly-terminated) Quartz crystals, accompanied by a single colorless
2-cm Topaz (Al2SiO4(F,OH)2),
and about one dozen small green octahedral Fluorites (CaF2),
half of which are inside the Quartz crystals. Regardless of whether
they are inside the Quartz or not, all of the Fluorites fluoresce bright
canary YELLOW under SWUV! The only locations for
bright yellow fluorescence by Fluorites that
I have found in a table from the Fluorescent Mineral Society are Norway
and New Mexico, and I have never before seen it. (This is
not at all the same as the cream yellow that comes from petroleum inclusions
- see the previous Gallery for one of those.) Besides containing
Fluorites, the Quartz also has inclusions of Phlogopite and dark-brown
needles of some unknown. This is a one-of-a-kind piece for a collector
of rare fluorescents or rare Chinese minerals.
click
on images for larger views image
above is in ordinary light
click on images
for larger views image
above is in SWUV
WOL10-1
Wollastonite with Barite on Calcite $145 SOLD
ex Tom Fitzpatrick collection
Franklin, Franklin Mining District, Sussex Co., New Jersey
12 cm x 8 cm x 7 cm
This large, colorful Wollastonite (CaSiO3)
comes with a label from T. Fitzpatrick's collection that says it is
from the third find, Wollastonite
being rare enough at Franklin to count the times it was found. The
Wollastonite
is the bright orange, the Calcite
(CaCO3)
is red, and the Barite (BaSO4;
there's only a little Barite) is pale
white-green. A must-have piece for the Franklin collector, and
an eye-catching addition to anyone's fluorescent display.
click on images
for larger views image
on right is in SWUV
WOL10-2 Wollastonite with Barite on Calcite $85 SOLD
Franklin, Franklin Mining District, Sussex Co., New Jersey
6.2 cm x 6.8 cm x 4.3 cm
This colorful Wollastonite (CaSiO3)
comes with a copy of the label from T. Fitzpatrick's collection that
says it is from the third find, Wollastonite
being rare enough at Franklin to count the times it was found. The
Wollastonite
is the bright orange, the Calcite (CaCO3)
is red, and the Barite (BaSO4;
there's more Barite on this specimen than the one above)
is pale white-green.
click on image
for larger view image
on right is in LWUV
RU10-1 Corundum variety Ruby, on Marble $48 SOLD
Jegdalek Ruby Mine, Sorobi District, Kabul Province, Afghanistan
7 x 5.5 x 4 cm; Ruby crystal = 6 mm
There
is nothing that glows in LWUV like a Ruby (Al2O3),
and these specimens from Jegdalek are even brighter than most. The
matrix is primarily marble, but there is a seem of powdery white that
fluoresces blue-white and feels like Talc. About half of the Ruby
crystal (an octahedron) shows above the matrix.
click on image
for larger view image
on right is in LWUV
RU10-2 Corundum variety Ruby, on Marble $42
Jegdalek Ruby Mine, Sorobi District, Kabul Province, Afghanistan
4.5 x 3 x 2 cm; Ruby crystal = 5 mm
There
is nothing that glows in LWUV like a Ruby (Al2O3),
and these specimens from Jegdalek are even brighter than most. The
matrix is primarily marble, but there are a couple small patches of
powdery white that fluoresce blue-white and feel like Talc. About
half of the Ruby crystal (a distorted octahedron) shows above the matrix.
click on image
for larger view image
on right is in LWUV
RU10-3 Corundum variety Ruby, on Marble $48 SOLD
Jegdalek Ruby Mine, Sorobi District, Kabul Province, Afghanistan
5.5 x 4.5 x 3.2 cm; Ruby crystal = 12 mm
There
is nothing that glows in LWUV like a Ruby (Al2O3),
and these specimens from Jegdalek are even brighter than most. The
matrix is primarily marble, but there is a patch of powdery white around
the Ruby that fluoresces blue-white and feels like Talc. This
crystal is contacted, but gives the most fluorescence of the 3 Afghani
specimens, as it is the largest.
click on image
for larger view image
on right is in LWUV
RU10-4 Corundum variety Sapphire on Marble $65 SOLD
Neelum Valley, Muzaffarabad district, Azad Kashmir, Pakistan
6 x 4.3 x 2.7 cm; Sapphire crystal = 10 mm
I'm calling this one Sapphire (Al2O3) because it is distinctly purplish. Nevertheless it glows in LWUV like a Ruby, and this specimen from Neelum Valley has more fluorescence than any of the other Corundums on this page. There are multiple crystals on this specimen; some of the crystals are contacted, but many show classic Corundum forms. There are also some very interesting, unidentified, dark shiny crystals on the back side. They look like Graphite, but I can't scratch it, so ...?
click
on image for larger view image
above is in ordinary light
click
on image for larger view image
above is in LWUV
click on image
for larger view image
above is in SWUV
HAU10-1 Haüyne,
Scapolite, Chrome Tremolite, Talc & Lazurite $95
ex Tom Fitzpatrick SOLD
Balmat,
Balmat-Edwards Zinc District, St Lawrence Co., New York
16 cm x 5 cm x 3.8 cm
This rare piece is a combination of many of the minerals found at the Zinc mines at Balmat, and would make a good companion to the famous Balmat cubic Magnetites (I have a few small inexpensive ones available.) The Haüyne ((Na,Ca)4-8[Al6Si6(O,S)24](SO4,Cl)1-2) fluoresces orange in LWUV; the Scapolite (a series with end members Ca4(Si, Al)12O24(CO3,SO4) and Na4(Al, Si)12O24Cl)) is yellow in LWUV; the Chrome Tremolite ([Ca2][Mg5][(OH)2|Si8O22]) is green in ordinary light and yellow-orange in SWUV; the Talc (Mg3Si4O10(OH)2) is whitish in SWUV; and the Lazurite ((Na,Ca)8[(S,SO4,Cl2)|Al6Si6O24]) does not fluoresce, but is dark blue in ordinary light.
click on image for larger view image
on right is in SWUV
VINO10-2 Vinogradovite
and Aegerine $30 SOLD,
but I
have 2 more pieces that are smaller @ $15 and $20.
Rasvumchorr
Mt, Khibiny Massif, Kola Peninsula, Murmanskaja Oblast', Northern Region,
Russia
4.0 cm x 3.8 cm x 3.5 cm
Pale fibers of Vinogradovite : (Na,Ca,K)4Ti4AlSi6O23(OH)·2H2O are accompanied by green-black Aegerine and some other unidentified minerals. The Vinogradovite is easy to identify because it fluoresces strong yellow in SWUV. The alkaline plutons of the Khibiny Massif produce minerals similar to the alkaline pegmatites of Mont St-Hilaire, so this is a way for Alkali-Nuts to get some cross-training.
click on image
for larger view image
on right is in SWUV
VINO10-3 Vinogradovite and Aegerine $28 SOLD
Rasvumchorr
Mt, Khibiny Massif, Kola Peninsula, Murmanskaja Oblast', Northern Region,
Russia
5.0 cm x 3.3 cm x 4.2 cm
Pale fibers of Vinogradovite with green-black Aegerine and an unidentified
white, bladed mineral. The Vinogradovite fluoresces strong yellow
in SWUV.
click on image
for larger view image
on right is in SWUV
VINO10-4 Vinogradovite and Aegerine $30 SOLD
Rasvumchorr
Mt, Khibiny Massif, Kola Peninsula, Murmanskaja Oblast', Northern Region,
Russia
4.0 cm x 3.4 cm x 3.5 cm
Pale fibers of Vinogradovite with green-black Aegerine and an unidentified
white, bladed mineral. The Vinogradovite fluoresces strong yellow
in SWUV.
ordinary light
click
on image for larger view
SWUV
DRAV9-2
Dravite $22 SOLD
Jajarkot District, Bheri Zone, Nepal
2.3 x 1.7 x 1.7 cm
A nice chunky Dravite with flashes of honey-brown, turns an unlikely mustard-color under SWUV - who would have guessed?
ordinary light
click
on image for larger view
SWUV
STRON9-2
Strontianite $26
SOLD
The
pictured specimen is reserved, but I have other
similar ones.
Faylor-Middle Creek Quarry, Winfield, Union Co., Pennsylvania
4.5 x 4.5 x 1.5 cm
Well-separated balls of spiky white Strontianite (SrCO3) on limestone fluoresce and phosphoresce cream-blue under SWUV.
ordinary light
click on images for larger views
SWUV
image above is
10 x 8 mm
HY9-14
Hyalite $42 SOLD
The
pictured specimen is sold, but I have others
that are similar.
Sierra
de la Candelaria, San Pedro Corralitos
Mun. de Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, Mexico
12 x 11 x 9 cm
A
large geode half with many flower-like sprays and masses of bubbles
of Hyalite Opal (SiO2·nH2O) that fluoresce
bright green in SWUV.
ordinary light
click
on image for larger view
SWUV
HY9-10
Hyalite $14 SOLD
The
pictured specimen is sold, but I have others
that are similar.
Sierra de la Candelaria,
San Pedro Corralitos
Mun. de Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, Mexico
7.0 x 7.5 x 4 cm
A pretty geode section with a flower-like spray of water-clear Hyalite Opal (SiO2·nH2O) that fluoresces green in SWUV.
ordinary light
click
on image for larger view
SWUV light click
on image for larger view
KUNZ5-2 Kunzite
$135
Darre Pech, Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan
9.7 x 4.2 x 1 cm
A good-sized Kunzite that fluoresces magnificently. Good terminations on three edges with a partially cloven bottom edge.
or select a gallery from the table below:
Questions? Please send me an email.
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