Fluorescent Mineral Gallery 1
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.
LWUV click
on images for larger views ordinary
light
ordinary
light click
on images for larger views ordinary
light
FL10-38 Fluorite and Quartz $95
Taolin
Mine, Linxiang Co., Yueyang Prefecture, Hunan Prov., China
4.5 x 4.5 x 4.2 cm
A very peculiarly-shaped compound Fluorite (CaF2) from a lesser-known Chinese locality. The foundation is a single, distorted green octahedron, whose top 4 faces are covered with small bevel-edged, green cubes (i.e., cuboctahedra). A later generation of colorless Fluorite placed beveled cubes along one edge (best seen running down the middle in the lower-left photo), and put the largest of them square on the top, partially enveloped with a clear overgrowth (seen face-on in the lower right photo). And if that's not enough, the piece is a floater, the faces on the bottom half being covered with tiny faces that may well be the result of etching. Finally, a sprinkling of tiny Quartz (SiO2) crystals appear like rice grains in the lower-left photo.
SWUV click
on images for larger views
ordinary
light click
on images for larger views
MCAL5-1 Manganocalcite $125 SOLD
Pasto Bueno District, Pallasca Province, Peru
16.5 cm x 9.5 cm x 8 cm
A large piece of Manganocalcite ((Ca,Mn)CO3) with extremely bright red-orange fluorescence. The compound crystals consist of large dogtooth crystals, each covered with a thin layer of tiny dogtooth crystals, all on a heavy Manganese-rich matrix.
SWUV click
on images for larger views
ordinary
light
THAU9-2 Pectolite on Thaumasite $38 SOLD
Upper New Street Quarry, Paterson, Passaic County, New Jersey
4.5 cm x 4 cm x 3 cm
A bright white, solid aggregate of microcrystals of Thaumasite (Ca3[CO3|SO4|Si(OH)6]
· 12H2O), in which are embedded
silky white radiating cones of Pectolite (NaCa2[HSi3O9]).
The Thaumasite fluoresces creamy-white under both SWUV and LWUV; the
Pectolite fluoresces cream under LWUV and pink under SWUV.
ordinary
light - click on image for larger view
SWUV -
click on image for larger view
SWUV phosphorescence
- click on image for larger view
LWUV -
click on image for larger view
CEL9-1 Phosphorescent Celestine $48 SOLD
Racalmuto
Mine, Racalmuto, Agrigento Province, Sicily, Italy
8 x 5.5 x 2.6 cm
This
Celestine (SrSO4) has beautiful prismatic crystals
up to 2.5 cm long, with a sprinkling of tiny crystals to give it a sugary
look. There is one 5 mm crystal of Sulfur (S8)
visible in the top photo towards the upper right.
Under SWUV, the specimen is slightly yellowish, with greenish
phosphorescence that lasts several seconds. Under LWUV, it is
slightly more peachy-pink, and there is no phosphorescence. The
colors are subtle and are best seen after allowing your eyes to adjust
to dark; it was hard to exactly capture the colors in the photo.
LWUV click
on images for larger views SWUV
ordinary
light click
on images for larger views ordinary
light
FL10-39 Fluorite on Muscovite $65 SOLD
Stak
Nala, Haramosh Mts., Skardu District, Baltistan, Northern Areas, Pakistan
4 x 2.5 x 4 cm
A
nice cuboctahedral Fluorite (CaF2) from the famous
gem districts of Pakistan. It exhibits good purple fluorescence
under LWUV, pink fluorescence under SWUV (with brief greenish phosphorescence),
and is colorless in ordinary light. In the bottom left photo, it is
so clear that the yellowish Muscovite (KAl2AlSi3O10(OH)2)
matrix gives it color, even though it is beneath the crystal.
LWUV
or SWUV click
on images for larger views ordinary
light
HMAG9-1 Hydromagnesite $18
Stanislaus
County, California
3 x 2.8 x 1.3 cm
An
unusual mineral from an unusual location, this TN specimen of Hydromagnesite
(Mg5[(CO3)4(OH)2]
· 4H2O) responds about equally in LWUV and
SWUV.
SWUV (or
LWUV) click
on images for larger views
ordinary
light
FL10-40 Fluorite with Petroleum Inclusions $48 SOLD
Annabel
Lee Mine, Harris
Creek District, Hardin Co., Illinois
6.8 x 6.8 x 4.6 cm
This
Fluorite (CaF2) fluoresces about as well in LWUV as
it does in SWUV (left-hand photo); it's just a little more yellow in
LWUV. The yellow fluorescence is due to petroleum inclusions,
some of which are visible in the raw on the bottom. There is a
small cleavage on the back and bottom with a few small bumps on the
edges, but it is still a decent Fluorite specimen from a classic mine
and a really extraordinary fluorescent specimen.
SWUV (or
LWUV) click
on images for larger views
ordinary
light
APA9-2 Fluorapatite and Muscovite on Quartz $32 SOLD
Panasqueira,
Covilhã, Castelo Branco District, Portugal
5.8 x 1.7 x 2.6 cm
This
Fluorapatite (Ca5(PO4)3F)
fluoresces in both SWUV (like the left-hand photo, though it should
be more orange-pink) and in LWUV, just less brightly and a tad more
orange.
SWUV (or
LWUV) click
on images for larger views
ordinary
light
COLE5-5 Colemanite (TL) $45 SOLD, but
I have others.
Boraxo Pit, Furnace Creek District, Death Valley, Inyo Co., California
7.5 cm x 6 cm x 5.5 cm
A chunky Colemanite (Ca[B3O4(OH)3] • H2O) specimen from the type locality. Most Colemanites are of the bladed habit, but Furnace Creek Colemanites are blocky, with silky surfaces. Under SWUV it fluoresces cream white and phosphoresces for several seconds after the lamp is turned off. Under LWUV, the fluorescence is slightly yellow-orange and a bit weaker. This specimen was collected by James and Dawn Minette in the 1970’s.
SWUV (or
LWUV, but not as bright) click
on images for larger views
ordinary
light
CHCD10-1 Quartz variety Chalcedony $25 SOLD
Yankee Dog Claim, Hidalgo Co., New Mexico
5 x 4.5 x 3.6 cm
These Chalcedony (SiO2) nodules from the Yankee Dog Claim have to be some of the most oddly-shaped mineral specimens ever, and this particular one makes a little distorted geode with some matrix attached. Under SWUV it is brilliant green. It responds to LWUV with about half the intensity, which is better than most of these do.
LWUV click
on images for larger views
ordinary
light
SCAP8-1 Scapolite variety Wernerite $25
The
pictured specimen is sold, but there are others from $1 to $15.
Grenville,
Argenteuil Co., Québec, Canada
8 x 7 x 5.5 cm
There is no question that Wernerite (which is a mixture of the endmembers of the Scapolite series, Ca4(Si, Al)12O24(CO3,SO4) and Na4(Al, Si)12O24Cl)) attracts more attention even with inexpensive LWUV lights than any other LWUV fluorescent mineral that I know. The intensely bright yellow in a good hand-sized piece can outshine any of the other LWUV specimens listed here. It responds to SWUV with about half the intensity.
SWUV click
on images for larger views ordinary
light
VLA10-4 Vlasovite and
Gittensite (Type Locality) $28 SOLD
The
pictured specimen is sold, but I have others
that are similar.
Kipawa Alkaline Complex, Sheffield Lake, Villedieu Township Témiscamingue Co., Québec, Canada
5.6 x 3.5 x 2 cm
This rock has patches of honey-colored Vlasovite (Na2ZrSi4O11) surrounded by rims of white Gittensite (CaZr[Si2O7] - from the type locality) in a matrix of pink Eudialyte. Under SWUV, the Vlasovite fluoresces yellow and the Gittensite seems to be fluorescing a slightly paler yellow or cream. The Gittensite (but not the Vlasovite) does fluoresce fairly well under LWUV, too. Another interesting chunk of rock from the amazing Kipawa Alkaline Complex.
SWUV click
on images for larger views ordinary
light
VLA10-5 Vlasovite and
Gittensite (Type Locality) $28 SOLD
The
pictured specimen is sold, but I have others
that are similar.
Kipawa Alkaline Complex, Sheffield Lake, Villedieu Township Témiscamingue Co., Québec, Canada
4 x 3 x 2 cm
This rock has a large patch of honey-colored Vlasovite (Na2ZrSi4O11) (visible near upper right in the ordinary light photo and wrapping around to the backside) surrounded by rims of white Gittensite (CaZr[Si2O7] - from the type locality) in a matrix of massive, pink-red Eudialyte. Under SWUV, the Vlasovite fluoresces yellow and the Gittensite seems to be fluorescing a slightly paler yellow or cream. The Gittensite (but not the Vlasovite) does fluoresce fairly well under LWUV, too. The green in the SWUV photo is supposedly thorium-bearing Calcite, but there's not enough to excite my Geiger counter. This Another interesting chunk of rock from the amazing Kipawa Alkaline Complex.
ordinary light
click
on image for larger view
SWUV click
on image for larger view
LWUV click
on image for larger view
CAL8-19 Phosphorescent Calcite
$35
The
pictured specimen is sold, but I have some small $5-$10 pieces.
Melchor Múzquiz, Coahuila, Mexico
9 x 5.5 x 5.5 cm
A large chunk of Calcite that fluoresces different colors in SWUV (middle photo) and LWUV (bottom photo). As a cool bonus, it also phosphoresces for ~10 seconds after illumination with SWUV. If you only have one fluorescent-phosphorescent rock to show your friends (you know, the ones with the really short attention span), this one should be it!
SWUV click
on image for larger view ordinary
light
POLY10-1 Polylithionite, Natrolite and Aegerine $22
SOLD
The
pictured specimen is sold, but I have 2 others
that are similar.
Mont Saint-Hilaire, Rouville Co., Québec, Canada
3.7 x 2.5 x 2 cm
Silvery scales of Polylithionite (KLi2Al[(F,OH)2|Si4O10]) fluoresce yellow under SWUV, and are accompanied by sprays of colorless Natrolite (appearing blue in the left-hand photo, but really not fluorescing) and black Aegerine blades on the back. Polylithionite is one of many fluorescent species that hail from the famous Mont Saint-Hilaire quarry.
SWUV click
on image for larger view ordinary
light
POLY10-2 Polylithionite, Natrolite, Analcime & Aegerine
$17 SOLD
The
pictured specimen is sold, but I have 2 others
that are similar.
Mont Saint-Hilaire, Rouville Co., Québec, Canada
3.6 x 2.7 x 2.1 cm
Silvery scales of Polylithionite (KLi2Al[(F,OH)2|Si4O10]) fluoresce yellow under SWUV, and are accompanied by sprays of colorless Natrolite (appearing blue in the left-hand photo, but really not fluorescing), small white soccer-ball-shaped Analcimes, and black Aegerine blades. Polylithionite is one of many fluorescent species that hail from the famous Mont Saint-Hilaire quarry.
ordinary light
click
on image for larger view LWUV
CARP8-09
Carpathite (also spelled Karpatite) $32
The
pictured specimen is sold, but many others
from $15 to $35 are available.
Picacho Mine, New Idria District, San Benito Co., California
3.7 x 4 x 2.5 cm
Carpathite is one of the few organic minerals; its chemical formula is C24H12 - nothing but carbon and hydrogen! The crystals are flat-lying lemon-yellow sprays that fluoresce an intense blue-white under LWUV (and almost as good with SWUV).
ordinary light
click
on image for larger view
SWUV click
on image for larger view
WIL8-1 Phosphorescent
Willemite with
Franklinite (TL) $35
The
pictured specimen is sold, but many others
from $10 to $25 are available.
Franklin Mine, Franklin Mining District, Sussex Co., New Jersey
9.7 x 6 x 5.3 cm
The thing that I like most about this Willemite (Zn2[SiO4]) is that only the center portion of the wide vertical stripe phosphoresces. That means there is phosphorescent Willemite sitting right next to non-phosphorescent, which is quite interesting. The phosphorescence continues for several seconds after the SWUV is turned off.
ordinary light
click
on image for larger view SWUV
CAL5-11 Calcite
with Hematite and Chalcopyrite $48 SOLD
near Bou Azzer, Tazenakht, Ouarzazate Province, Morocco
5.5 x 4 x 5 cm
This Calcite makes just as good a specimen for people without a SWUV lamp as those who have one. The Calcite crystals have beautiful phantoms marked by Hematite and Chalcopyrite inclusions, then encased by a clear Calcite layer. When illuminated by SWUV, the crystals have exceptionally bright tips, revealing yet another differential in their chemistry that was invisible in regular lighting.
ordinary light
click
on image for larger view LWUV
SODA8-16 Sodalite
$20
The
pictured specimen is sold, but there are others from $4 to
$18.
Poudrette Quarry, Mont Saint-Hilaire, Rouville Co., Québec, Canada
7.5 x 4.2 x 4 cm
Sodalite (Na8Al6Si6O24(Cl2,S)) is one of the more interesting LWUV fluorescents because the blue Sodalite surprisingly fluoresces bright orange, showing that the color of the fluorescence has nothing to do with the color in normal light.
ordinary light
click
on image for larger view
SWUV click
on image for larger view
LWUV click
on image for larger view
SPHAL8-1 Phosphorescent
Sphalerite, w/Willemite & Franklinite $28
The
pictured specimen is sold, but there are others from $15 to $20.
Franklin Mine, Franklin Mining District, Sussex Co., New Jersey
7 x 3.5 x 5.5 cm
This is a fun mineral specimen: under SWUV (middle photo), the Willemite (Zn2[SiO4]) fluoresces green and under LWUV (bottom photo), the Sphalerite ((Zn,Fe2+)S) fluoresces orange. Then when you turn off the LWUV, the orange continues as phosphorescence, making the rock look like a piece of glowing hot lava!
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