UV Lights and Fluorescent Minerals - a fun side hobby to metal detecting !

New specimen arrived today!

This specimen arrived today. It is mostly Hardystonite, with some Willemite, and very minor Calcite. The specimen is nearly 4" across. The first picture is natural light, note that most of what appears white in this image is hardystonite, not calcite. Type Locality for hardystonite of Franklin Mine, Sussex Co., N.J. In the second image the hardystonite is violet blue, willemite is green, and minor calcite is red. Note what appears to be a thread running horizontally across the base of the fluorescent specimen is actually a very thin veinlet of calcite. Picture was taken with a 5 watt SW UV 254nm lamp held some 6 inches from the lower portion of the specimen. For some unknown reason the fluorescent specimen is in good focus, for a change! Perhaps my camera auto focus does not like LW UV??
 

Attachments

  • Hardystonite and Willemite, Franklin mine (TL), Sussex Co., N.J. FOV 4 in. natural light.jpg
    Hardystonite and Willemite, Franklin mine (TL), Sussex Co., N.J. FOV 4 in. natural light.jpg
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  • Hardystonite and Willemite, Franklin mine (TL), Sussex Co., N.J. FOV 4 in.  SW UV 254nm.jpg
    Hardystonite and Willemite, Franklin mine (TL), Sussex Co., N.J. FOV 4 in. SW UV 254nm.jpg
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Perhaps, KT should have requested KingTotsalotite! :laughing::laughing:

:laughing::laughing::laughing:

......now THAT name would have really gotten people's attention AND puzzlement :?: :laughing:

This specimen arrived today. It is mostly Hardystonite, with some Willemite, and very minor Calcite. The specimen is nearly 4" across. The first picture is natural light, note that most of what appears white in this image is hardystonite, not calcite. Type Locality for hardystonite of Franklin Mine, Sussex Co., N.J. In the second image the hardystonite is violet blue, willemite is green, and minor calcite is red. Note what appears to be a thread running horizontally across the base of the fluorescent specimen is actually a very thin veinlet of calcite. Picture was taken with a 5 watt SW UV 254nm lamp held some 6 inches from the lower portion of the specimen. For some unknown reason the fluorescent specimen is in good focus, for a change! Perhaps my camera auto focus does not like LW UV??

That is indeed a really neat specimen KT, interesting blend of colors as well as that attention grabbing red line near the bottom !

(and yes it is a really good picture for being taken in UV !)

That would be an interesting study to research about cameras being able to focus for LW and SW UV, wonder if the mineral museums use special cameras to photograph their specimens or just use special settings with a regular camera.
 
That is indeed a really neat specimen KT, interesting blend of colors as well as that attention grabbing red line near the bottom !

(and yes it is a really good picture for being taken in UV !)

That would be an interesting study to research about cameras being able to focus for LW and SW UV, wonder if the mineral museums use special cameras to photograph their specimens or just use special settings with a regular camera.

KT suspects that if the Royal Camera had a way to manually focus it, rather than having to depend on auto focus, He could get good "in focus" pictures of fluorescing minerals, no matter what wavelength.

I suspect professional photographers use high dollar digital SLR cameras that they can closely control to produce quality photos. The Queen has such a camera, but wisely does not let KT touch it. The shame is, tho, she bought it for a nice telescope that was gifted her, but KT thinks she has yet to use it, so it just sits there! I just asked her about it. Her answer: It is not your camera! Do not touch it! :laughing::laughing::laughing:
 
KT suspects that if the Royal Camera had a way to manually focus it, rather than having to depend on auto focus, He could get good "in focus" pictures of fluorescing minerals, no matter what wavelength.

I suspect professional photographers use high dollar digital SLR cameras that they can closely control to produce quality photos. The Queen has such a camera, but wisely does not let KT touch it. The shame is, tho, she bought it for a nice telescope that was gifted her, but KT thinks she has yet to use it, so it just sits there! I just asked her about it. Her answer: It is not your camera! Do not touch it! :laughing::laughing::laughing:

That is a wise decision indeed KT ! :lol: ......a happy wife is much preferred over in focus UV pictures :laughing:
 
Yes, but perhaps KT may just need to investigate purchasing a better quality digital camera for His own Royal Use! :laughing::laughing:

......you might have your wife asking to borrow your camera :laughing:

Just did a quick search and found a couple web pages that look like they should be helpful:

Photographing fluorescent minerals in UV light

https://www.photographingminerals.com/photographing-fluorescent-minerals-in-uv-light/

Fluorescent Mineral Photography
A collection of random hints and techniques


https://www.naturesrainbows.com/photography

......a quick glance seems to show why my simple point the camera and click technique might not always produce the best possible results :lol:
 
here is another goodie that recently arrived!

This specimen is Tremolite and Talc from upstate New York, USA area. Both minerals are whitish gray in natural light...the first picture. The specimen measures ~4 inches X 2 inches X 1/2 inch thick. The natural light side is mostly Tremolite and the reverse side is intergrown Tremolite and Talc. In the second picture, which was taken using LW UV 365 nm, you can see that it is mostly tangerine orange fluorescing Tremolite. The third picture is of the reverse side, and displays the orangey Tremolite intergrown with the bluish white fluorescing Talc, and was taken using UV SW 254 nm. The talc does not fluoresce in LW UV, but the Tremolite fluoresces in both LW and SW UV.

Enjoy the pictures!
 

Attachments

  • Tremolite & Talc, near Thousand Islands area, Fowler, St. Lawrence Co., NY FOV ~4 in., natural l.jpg
    Tremolite & Talc, near Thousand Islands area, Fowler, St. Lawrence Co., NY FOV ~4 in., natural l.jpg
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  • Tremolite & Talc, near Thousand Islands area, Fowler, St. Lawrence Co., NY FOV ~4 in., LW UV 365.jpg
    Tremolite & Talc, near Thousand Islands area, Fowler, St. Lawrence Co., NY FOV ~4 in., LW UV 365.jpg
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  • Tremolite & Talc, near Thousand Islands area, Fowler, St. Lawrence Co., NY FOV ~4 in., reverse, .jpg
    Tremolite & Talc, near Thousand Islands area, Fowler, St. Lawrence Co., NY FOV ~4 in., reverse, .jpg
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This specimen is Tremolite and Talc from upstate New York, USA area. Both minerals are whitish gray in natural light...the first picture. The specimen measures ~4 inches X 2 inches X 1/2 inch thick. The natural light side is mostly Tremolite and the reverse side is intergrown Tremolite and Talc. In the second picture, which was taken using LW UV 365 nm, you can see that it is mostly tangerine orange fluorescing Tremolite. The third picture is of the reverse side, and displays the orangey Tremolite intergrown with the bluish white fluorescing Talc, and was taken using UV SW 254 nm. The talc does not fluoresce in LW UV, but the Tremolite fluoresces in both LW and SW UV.

Enjoy the pictures!

Wow, you are indeed getting some interesting specimens KT, that is so neat how those colors are blended together !

I was wondering how the first person to see fluorescence happened to do it, looks like it was Johann Ritter in 1801 doing experiments with the light spectrum.
 
Here are some unusual specimens.....

The mineral assemblage is relatively common worldwide...lead and zinc minerals. But the form or habit of the zinc mineral, sphalerite, is unusual. Instead of distinct crystals, it is mamillary coatings. These 3 specimens were cut and polished to show the distinct cross sections, displaying banding of the sphalerite and intergrown galena crystals. The sphalerite is fluorescent in LW UV 365 nm only, no SW response. The specimens came from an active zinc-lead mine in Poland. First described in the 1890s by Dana, who was likely the best known mineralogist of his day, he described the material and named it Schalenblende, a variety of Sphalerite. He noted the presence of wurtzite, pyrite, and galena in this type of ore. Interestingly, recent studies of this type of mineralization has failed to find any wurtzite. Wurtzite (Zn,Fe)S has the identical chemical formula of Sphalerite but a different crystal habit. The variation of the color banding from tan to dark brown is thought now to be due to a variation in the amount of iron present in the mineral, not due to the presence of a polymorph form. Anyway, enjoy the pictures! The FOV is ~ 4 inches. The blue in the UV picture is due to light leakage of the UV LW light through the filter of the lamp.
 

Attachments

  • Schalenblende, Ponorzany Mine, Poland FOV 4 in., polished slabs, LW UV 365 nm.jpg
    Schalenblende, Ponorzany Mine, Poland FOV 4 in., polished slabs, LW UV 365 nm.jpg
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  • Schalenblende, Ponorzany Mine, Poland FOV 4 in., polished slabs, natural light.jpg
    Schalenblende, Ponorzany Mine, Poland FOV 4 in., polished slabs, natural light.jpg
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The mineral assemblage is relatively common worldwide...lead and zinc minerals. But the form or habit of the zinc mineral, sphalerite, is unusual. Instead of distinct crystals, it is mamillary coatings. These 3 specimens were cut and polished to show the distinct cross sections, displaying banding of the sphalerite and intergrown galena crystals. The sphalerite is fluorescent in LW UV 365 nm only, no SW response. The specimens came from an active zinc-lead mine in Poland. First described in the 1890s by Dana, who was likely the best known mineralogist of his day, he described the material and named it Schalenblende, a variety of Sphalerite. He noted the presence of wurtzite, pyrite, and galena in this type of ore. Interestingly, recent studies of this type of mineralization has failed to find any wurtzite. Wurtzite (Zn,Fe)S has the identical chemical formula of Sphalerite but a different crystal habit. The variation of the color banding from tan to dark brown is thought now to be due to a variation in the amount of iron present in the mineral, not due to the presence of a polymorph form. Anyway, enjoy the pictures! The FOV is ~ 4 inches. The blue in the UV picture is due to light leakage of the UV LW light through the filter of the lamp.

Wow, that is definitely not your average looking fluorescent specimen, interesting looking pics and detailed explanation KT !

You mentioned "First described in the 1890s by Dana, who was likely the best known mineralogist of his day" .......you know he must had been well known to only need to go by a single name "Dana" :lol: .....you did great by having a mineral named after you, but if it was simply named "Mike-ite" instead of "Mikehowardite" then you would have known you were really well known :lol: (just joking KT :lol:)
 
Wow, that is definitely not your average looking fluorescent specimen, interesting looking pics and detailed explanation KT !

You mentioned "First described in the 1890s by Dana, who was likely the best known mineralogist of his day" .......you know he must had been well known to only need to go by a single name "Dana" :lol: .....you did great by having a mineral named after you, but if it was simply named "Mike-ite" instead of "Mikehowardite" then you would have known you were really well known :lol: (just joking KT :lol:)

HA HA! Good joke....there were two Dana's...father and son, but since I could not remember which one it was and did not want to spend the time to research it, I just said Dana! :lol::lol:

And I had a good day yesterday! Went on a drive over to Mount Ida, Arkansas, about an hour and 45 minutes drive from the Castle, to attend the local Gem and Mineral Show. Took my UV lamps with me and scoped out the dealers...only found 1 that had any interesting fluorescent minerals and what I discovered was a box of healie feelie wands cut from some fluorescent sodalite syenite...the dealer said they were from China but I suspect it was cut in China and the raw material is from some place else...but the important thing was that he had a set price and I got to use my light and high grade the best one (to KT) for his price....$15...not unreasonable for such a nicely fluorescent sample. Pictures below....natural light first then LW UV 365.

Enjoy the pics!:D:D
 

Attachments

  • Hackmanite Syenite China 4.0 inches in length natural light.jpg
    Hackmanite Syenite China 4.0 inches in length natural light.jpg
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  • Hackmanite Syenite China 4.0 inches in length LW UV 365nm.jpg
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HA HA! Good joke....there were two Dana's...father and son, but since I could not remember which one it was and did not want to spend the time to research it, I just said Dana! :lol::lol:

And I had a good day yesterday! Went on a drive over to Mount Ida, Arkansas, about an hour and 45 minutes drive from the Castle, to attend the local Gem and Mineral Show. Took my UV lamps with me and scoped out the dealers...only found 1 that had any interesting fluorescent minerals and what I discovered was a box of healie feelie wands cut from some fluorescent sodalite syenite...the dealer said they were from China but I suspect it was cut in China and the raw material is from some place else...but the important thing was that he had a set price and I got to use my light and high grade the best one (to KT) for his price....$15...not unreasonable for such a nicely fluorescent sample. Pictures below....natural light first then LW UV 365.

Enjoy the pics!:D:D

Wow, that is indeed a fantastic glow :shock: looks like you would think it had batteries inside lighting it up with LED lights from the inside :lol:
 
This past weekend....

KT's local rock club hosted its annual show, having been cancelled last year, everyone was ready to have it and have a fun time! It was at the Jacksonville, AR, Convention Center this year. KT volunteered to do a fluorescent mineral demonstration, starting at 1pm each afternoon. Had a total for the two days of 40 people attend, half of which were kids! That made it even more fun for Jolly Old KT!

Anyway, while at the show, KT did some shopping too, and came back with 2 fluorescent specimens from Afghanistan, mangano calcite and kunzite.

So here are some picture pairs....first the mangano calcite. Both minerals react to 365nm LW UV. The first picture is in natural light and the 2nd in LW UV. This is the rough side of a slabbed piece and is about 4 inches in length.

The second pair is of the kunzite, a pinkish variety of the lithium mineral spodumene. The specimen is a cleavage fragment of a much larger specimen, and it measures 3 inches long. They both have already been cataloged and entered into KT's specimen database.

Enjoy the pics!
 

Attachments

  • Kunzite Nilaw-Kolum pegmatite field, Nuristan, Afghanistan, FOV 3.0 in, 365 nm UV LW.jpg
    Kunzite Nilaw-Kolum pegmatite field, Nuristan, Afghanistan, FOV 3.0 in, 365 nm UV LW.jpg
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  • Kunzite Nilaw-Kolum pegmatite field, Nuristan, Afghanistan, FOV 3.0 in, natural light.jpg
    Kunzite Nilaw-Kolum pegmatite field, Nuristan, Afghanistan, FOV 3.0 in, natural light.jpg
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  • Mangano calcite Hilmand, Afghanistan FOV 4.5 in, 365nm LW UV.jpg
    Mangano calcite Hilmand, Afghanistan FOV 4.5 in, 365nm LW UV.jpg
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  • Mangano calcite Hilmand, Afghanistan FOV 4.5 in, natural light.jpg
    Mangano calcite Hilmand, Afghanistan FOV 4.5 in, natural light.jpg
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Another arrival from eBay for KT's collection!

This specimen is of fluorescent sphalerite and willemite from Sterling Hill mine, Sussex County, New Jersey! The black opaque grains are franklinite, named for this locality.

Two pictures are given. First one in natural light. The brownish veining is the sphalerite. In the second picture, the yellow to brownish granular sphalerite is nicely displayed in the vein, along with green willemite. That picture was taken using 365 nm LW UV light. KT thinks that from its texture the sphalerite has been shattered and granulated during its injection into the willemite-bearing rock. The specimen is ~3.5" across horizontally. Enjoy the color change!
 

Attachments

  • Sphalerite with Willemite, Sterling Hill, Sussex Co., NJ FOV 3.5 in. Natural light .jpg
    Sphalerite with Willemite, Sterling Hill, Sussex Co., NJ FOV 3.5 in. Natural light .jpg
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  • Sphalerite with Willemite, Sterling Hill, Sussex Co., NJ FOV 3.5 in., LW UV 365nm.jpg
    Sphalerite with Willemite, Sterling Hill, Sussex Co., NJ FOV 3.5 in., LW UV 365nm.jpg
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KT's local rock club hosted its annual show, having been cancelled last year, everyone was ready to have it and have a fun time! It was at the Jacksonville, AR, Convention Center this year. KT volunteered to do a fluorescent mineral demonstration, starting at 1pm each afternoon. Had a total for the two days of 40 people attend, half of which were kids! That made it even more fun for Jolly Old KT!

Anyway, while at the show, KT did some shopping too, and came back with 2 fluorescent specimens from Afghanistan, mangano calcite and kunzite.

So here are some picture pairs....first the mangano calcite. Both minerals react to 365nm LW UV. The first picture is in natural light and the 2nd in LW UV. This is the rough side of a slabbed piece and is about 4 inches in length.

The second pair is of the kunzite, a pinkish variety of the lithium mineral spodumene. The specimen is a cleavage fragment of a much larger specimen, and it measures 3 inches long. They both have already been cataloged and entered into KT's specimen database.

Enjoy the pics!

What wavelength did you use on the Kunzite? Normally they are a purple even with lithium present. WOLF
 
Another specimen arrived today!

Here are a couple of pictures of Norbergite from the Franklin Marble, Franklin, Sussex Co., New Jersey. The first image is in natural lighting and the FOV is 4.0". The second picture is under 254nm UV SW and displays its typical yellow color. The mineral formed in enriched zones thought to be representative of different layering in the original sedimentary carbonate rock. There are a few specks of pyrite and graphite scattered within the specimen.

Enjoy!
 

Attachments

  • Norbergite in Franklin Marble, Franklin, Sussex Co., NJ FOV 4 in. natural light.jpg
    Norbergite in Franklin Marble, Franklin, Sussex Co., NJ FOV 4 in. natural light.jpg
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  • Norbergite in Franklin Marble, Franklin, Sussex Co., NJ FOV 4 in. UV SW 254nm 5 watts.jpg
    Norbergite in Franklin Marble, Franklin, Sussex Co., NJ FOV 4 in. UV SW 254nm 5 watts.jpg
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Catching up on your latest posts KT after having been extra busy recently, you are indeed getting quite an interesting assortment together, thanks for continuing to add your latest specimens to the thread ! :thumbsup:

(Why can't there be a fluorescent mineral source as good as the one in New Jersey that would be close enough for me to hunt :lol:)
 
Catching up on your latest posts KT after having been extra busy recently, you are indeed getting quite an interesting assortment together, thanks for continuing to add your latest specimens to the thread ! :thumbsup:

(Why can't there be a fluorescent mineral source as good as the one in New Jersey that would be close enough for me to hunt :lol:)

There may be, but it just has not been found yet! :laughing::laughing::laughing:
 
a specimen a little closer to home.....

It has been over a year now since KT sold his Royal Mineral Collection, and yesterday, while looking around on the back porch of the Castle, His Majesty came across a specimen that should have gone to the buyer but was missed!

Here are two pictures of it...it is a crust of Albite crystals, averaging about 3/8" on an edge, on massive Albite from the Albite Hole, at Magnet Cove, Hot Spring County, Arkansas. It measures about 4" across. The first picture is natural lighting and the second is SW UV 254nm wavelength light. KT had a lot of this mineral but it all went except for this specimen, lucky for His Majesty! :D:D

Enjoy the pictures! In the literature this color is described as “weak red”. And it is weak compared to some other minerals response.
 

Attachments

  • Albite crystal crust, Albite hole, Cove Creek, Magnet Cove, AR 4 in, natural light.jpg
    Albite crystal crust, Albite hole, Cove Creek, Magnet Cove, AR 4 in, natural light.jpg
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  • Albite crystal crust, Albite hole, Cove Creek, Magnet Cove, AR 4 in, UV SW 254nm.jpg
    Albite crystal crust, Albite hole, Cove Creek, Magnet Cove, AR 4 in, UV SW 254nm.jpg
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