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

[KingTotsalot]

Ha ha. Not turtle mail…snail mail! or perhaps sea slug!

NOW KT is awaiting 8 separate packages, some from the States and some from elsewhere! And what do we get today?? 5 political flyers and our church bulletin. At least one thing to read before it goes into the round file!

Meanwhile, back at the Castle......

 

[GKL]

NOW KT is awaiting 8 separate packages, some from the States and some from elsewhere! And what do we get today?? 5 political flyers and our church bulletin. At least one thing to read before it goes into the round file!

Meanwhile, back at the Castle......

sounds like when I was in the military - hurry up and wait

 

[KingTotsalot]

sounds like when I was in the military - hurry up and wait

HA HA or worse....dig a hole, now fill it up!

 

[KingTotsalot]

One specimen arrived today!

So members of the Royal Round Table, including KT, are happy!

The specimen is from the Franklin mine, near Ogdensberg, Sussex Co., New Jersey. It is a small hand specimen. It was sold to me as fluorescing orange, though the pictures on eBay are obviously yellow. The first image is in natural light, and the second is in SWUV 254nm. And it looks yellow to me, both in presence and in this image! Color is of no matter to me, just the fact that it is wollastonite from this location is good enough!

Enjoy the pictures!

 

[GKL]

So members of the Royal Round Table, including KT, are happy!

The specimen is from the Franklin mine, near Ogdensberg, Sussex Co., New Jersey. It is a small hand specimen. It was sold to me as fluorescing orange, though the pictures on eBay are obviously yellow. The first image is in natural light, and the second is in SWUV 254nm. And it looks yellow to me, both in presence and in this image! Color is of no matter to me, just the fact that it is wollastonite from this location is good enough!

Enjoy the pictures!

Hey, that yellow is nice, nothing wrong with that specimen, and the black makes a neat contrast to the yellow !

(maybe the seller was wearing orange sunglasses at the time ? )

 

[KingTotsalot]

Hey, that yellow is nice, nothing wrong with that specimen, and the black makes a neat contrast to the yellow !

(maybe the seller was wearing orange sunglasses at the time ? )

In researching wollastonite from that location, it appears that there is both orange and yellow fluorescing wollastonite, so KT is happy to get a yellow one….checking the Royal Catalog, His Majesty discovered that He already has an orange fluorescing specimen of this mineral from the same location!

 

[KingTotsalot]

A batch of fluorescent stuff arrived today!

Yes, KT has been busy today with the arrival at the Castle of a number of fluorescent minerals! For your examination, KT has taken 3 specimens and worked them up completely for your pleasure.

Several months back, KT had ordered some oil inclusion quartz crystals and this time He ordered some 20 grams of these little beauties! The first 2 pictures show them in a tray, FOV=~2 inches. It takes about 10 of these lined up to make an inch, and I estimate there are about 150 crystals in the batch. Anyway the first picture is in natural light and they are in a metal tray. The second picture they are in LWUV 365nm light. Just so you can see the overall effect. Then there are 3 more pictures taken with the Royal USB led microscope at 10X magnification. The first of these is in natural light, then the next is the same view with 365nm light, and finally KT moved the tray around a bit until he spotted another nice view and took it with 365nm light. Note in the 5th picture the 3 crystals and their fluorescing inclusions angling from top left to lower right!

The second mineral is a sample of a very rare mineral from the Parker
Shaft in Sussex County, New Jersey. Xonotlite "dust" is what the description said! HA HA So it is a true micromount of about a dozen or so grains of this mineral. First image is in natural light and second image is in LWUV 365nm. KT likes rare minerals that fluoresce! So this specimen grains are real micromounts! They came loose in a small plastic box that had turned yellow from age, so KT put them in a new box and made a legible label for the box!

The final specimen is of Austinite and chalcophanite from Gold Hill Mine, Toole County, Utah. Type locality for Austinite...TL means the original material investigated and termed austinite came from that location. KT thought the chalcophanite would not fluoresce, but when the image was processed, there are many blue patches showing up, along with the green of the austinite(a U-bearing mineral). And KT likes that color combination of blue and green!

Anyway, it is now time for you to enjoy these pictures!

 

[GKL]

Yes, KT has been busy today with the arrival at the Castle of a number of fluorescent minerals! For your examination, KT has taken 3 specimens and worked them up completely for your pleasure.

Several months back, KT had ordered some oil inclusion quartz crystals and this time He ordered some 20 grams of these little beauties! The first 2 pictures show them in a tray, FOV=~2 inches. It takes about 10 of these lined up to make an inch, and I estimate there are about 150 crystals in the batch. Anyway the first picture is in natural light and they are in a metal tray. The second picture they are in LWUV 365nm light. Just so you can see the overall effect. Then there are 3 more pictures taken with the Royal USB led microscope at 10X magnification. The first of these is in natural light, then the next is the same view with 365nm light, and finally KT moved the tray around a bit until he spotted another nice view and took it with 365nm light. Note in the 5th picture the 3 crystals and their fluorescing inclusions angling from top left to lower right!

The second mineral is a sample of a very rare mineral from the Parker
Shaft in Sussex County, New Jersey. Xonotlite "dust" is what the description said! HA HA So it is a true micromount of about a dozen or so grains of this mineral. First image is in natural light and second image is in LWUV 365nm. KT likes rare minerals that fluoresce! So this specimen grains are real micromounts! They came loose in a small plastic box that had turned yellow from age, so KT put them in a new box and made a legible label for the box!

The final specimen is of Austinite and chalcophanite from Gold Hill Mine, Toole County, Utah. Type locality for Austinite...TL means the original material investigated and termed austinite came from that location. KT thought the chalcophanite would not fluoresce, but when the image was processed, there are many blue patches showing up, along with the green of the austinite(a U-bearing mineral). And KT likes that color combination of blue and green!

Anyway, it is now time for you to enjoy these pictures!

More neat specimens KT !!!!

The clear quartz crystals almost look like diamonds !

I like the blue/green in the other specimen also

Also, make sure to keep the Xonotlite "dust" covered, you don't want to sneeze and have to find the specks over a large area

 

[KingTotsalot]

More neat specimens KT !!!!

The clear quartz crystals almost look like diamonds !

I like the blue/green in the other specimen also

Also, make sure to keep the Xonotlite "dust" covered, you don't want to sneeze and have to find the specks over a large area

KT was very careful not to even breathe on those specks! HA HA

And when dug in Herkimer County, New York, this type of quartz, without the petroleum inclusions, is called Herkimer diamonds!

Now today KT has 3 more specimens to share:

First is Sphalerite from the Sterling Hill mine, Sussex Co., New Jersey. Not all sphalerite (zinc sulfide) is fluorescent but this one is, not a bright color but still a distinctive orange. First pic is natural light, second is LWUV 365nm.

Second specimen consists of Manganocalcite with non-fluorescent hematite, from the Sterling Hill Mine also. Now this one is a strong orange in SWUV 254nm light in the 2nd picture.

Finally, we have a specimen from Sweden, namely Wollastonite. First picture shows the white fibrous crystals throughout the specimen. Second picture shows the distinctive yellow color in SWUV 254nm. The sample is from Kockgruven, Kinnskatteberg, Vastmanland County, Sweden. Say that 5 times really fast!

Enjoy!

 

[GKL]

KT was very careful not to even breathe on those specks! HA HA

And when dug in Herkimer County, New York, this type of quartz, without the petroleum inclusions, is called Herkimer diamonds!

Now today KT has 3 more specimens to share:

First is Sphalerite from the Sterling Hill mine, Sussex Co., New Jersey. Not all sphalerite (zinc sulfide) is fluorescent but this one is, not a bright color but still a distinctive orange. First pic is natural light, second is LWUV 365nm.

Second specimen consists of Manganocalcite with non-fluorescent hematite, from the Sterling Hill Mine also. Now this one is a strong orange in SWUV 254nm light in the 2nd picture.

Finally, we have a specimen from Sweden, namely Wollastonite. First picture shows the white fibrous crystals throughout the specimen. Second picture shows the distinctive yellow color in SWUV 254nm. The sample is from Kockgruven, Kinnskatteberg, Vastmanland County, Sweden. Say that 5 times really fast!

Enjoy!

Sorry it took a while to check back here but glad I did to see even more neat specimens !

I agree that 2nd picture really does look like a strong orange and looks like it is a real attention getter under the 254nm light !

The location of the one you mentioned from "Kockgruven, Kinnskatteberg, Vastmanland County, Sweden" ......I wouldn't even want to try to say that ONE time real fast

.....also got me wondering, are there some specimens that are particularly unique to one location in the world and not found elsewhere, or just more plentiful in that location ?

 

[KingTotsalot]

Sorry it took a while to check back here but glad I did to see even more neat specimens !

I agree that 2nd picture really does look like a strong orange and looks like it is a real attention getter under the 254nm light !

The location of the one you mentioned from "Kockgruven, Kinnskatteberg, Vastmanland County, Sweden" ......I wouldn't even want to try to say that ONE time real fast

.....also got me wondering, are there some specimens that are particularly unique to one location in the world and not found elsewhere, or just more plentiful in that location ?

To answer your question....some minerals fluoresce a large % of the time, like fluorite or scheelite, but either the fluorescence varies in color from site to site or may be the same for any specimen. Some places like Franklin mine in NJ are famous for the quantity of fluorescent minerals, their color combinations and the large number of individual mineral species that fluoresce. Then some minerals almost never fluoresce, but when they do, collectors want them!

KT went on a trip over Memorial Day weekend, drove down to a mineral symposium that was being hosted by the Tellus Museum of Cartersville, GA. If you every get by there, their mineral and fossil displays are well worth the time to look at! One of KT's friends, who could not be there, sent a fluorescent mineral care package via a mutual friend. Pictured below are 2 of the specimens he sent His Majesty. Both consist of larger hand sized specimens of calcite and willemite from the Franklin MIne, Sussex Co., NJ. The first one displays the typical texture, KT calls it "dispersed" minerals. The second one shows a calcite interbanded with willemite rich zones. Same two minerals are present, but the textures of the fluorescing images really is striking! The black mineral is franklinite and does not fluoresce. Both specimens are first shown in natural light and then in SWUV 254nm.

Enjoy! Notice even the images displaying the fluorescence are in focus! HA HA Enjoy!

 

[KingTotsalot]

A return to Arkansas....trip and specimen!

KT is glad to be back in his Castle! The Royal Bed was wonderful to get back to. Hotel beds, no matter how good, just do not cut it for KT.

Anyway, KT had ventured to Cartersville, GA, to attend a minerals symposium concerned with micro minerals (small crystals that require serious magnification to view).

At this meeting, there was a dealer present, who had purchased the micro mineral collection of the late Art Smith, Jr., who had been an associate and collecting friend of KT during the 1980s to 2005. KT acquired a number of Art's former specimens, including one that fluoresces!

KT was along on the trip when Art collected this specimen (actually KT had led the trip to the Batesville Lime Co. quarry, near Batesville, Independence Co., AR. Unfortunately since 9/11, the quarry has been closed to collectors.

Anyway, this specimen consists of a small pocket, lined with calcite crystals that are sprinkled with tiny marcasite blades, and the entire pocket has a wash of now dead petroleum, coating essentially everything. It is the dead hydrocarbons that fluoresce bright orange in LWUV 365nm light. Thicker layers of the hydrocarbon shows up in the first image as brown films coating calcite, but in the second image it can be seen that the rest of the calcite is also coated with a colorless film of dead hydrocarbon also. For some reason, the fluorescent image does not load in this comment, so KT will load it separately by itself in the next comment! Another way to skin a cat! HA HA

Anyway, KT recovered this specimen and returned it to the state it came from! Enjoy the pics!

 

[KingTotsalot]

Here is the fluorescent image described above!

 

[KingTotsalot]

More goodies!

Here we have 3 specimens....first image of each is in natural light. These are all fist sized pieces.

First one was a gift from one of KT's friends in Kentucky. It is aragonite from a roadcut near Owingsville, Bath County. The first image is in natural light and the second is in LWUV 365nm.

The second specimen is Powellite from "A" level adit, Pure Creek Mine, Bishop, Inyo Co., California. The first image is in natural light and the second is in SWUV 254nm.

Finally the last pair of images are of Fluorite from the Shangbao Mine, Leiyang Co., Hunan Province, China. This one KT had been waiting a month for and when He arrived back at the Castle from His Royal Journey, it was waiting for His Majesty! The natural light image was hard to take because KT tried to show that the upper fluorite which is bluish grey is coating a layer of green fluorite....in the 2nd image, one can see that both layers fluoresce the same intense blue color under LWUV 365nm light.

Anyway, KT hopes you enjoy the pictures and there are quite a few more to come!

 

[GKL]

Hey KT, just a quick note to say I saw the latest specimens, just don't have time now to comment in detail with so many neat new specimens, hopefully tomorrow as I would rather wait and comment in more detail rather than write a hurried reply today !

 

[KingTotsalot]

More for viewing!

Here are two more specimens that fluoresce!

The first is wavellite from Clear Springs Lake, Bartow, Polk Co., Florida, taken at 15X magnification with my USB led microscope. First image is natural light, second is LWUV 365 and third image is SWUV 254nm. Interesting that this specimen has different color responses to the two different lamps!

The second specimen is Hyaline (Opal-An) from the Diamond Jo Quarry, Magnet Cove, Hot Spring County, Arkansas. It is only 1 of two specimens I ever saw from that site. Images taken at 20X. First image is natural light, and second is with SWUV 254nm. The response is green, typical for opal with a trace of U.
This specimen is from Art Smith, Jr.'s collection.

Enjoy!

 

[GKL]

To answer your question....some minerals fluoresce a large % of the time, like fluorite or scheelite, but either the fluorescence varies in color from site to site or may be the same for any specimen. Some places like Franklin mine in NJ are famous for the quantity of fluorescent minerals, their color combinations and the large number of individual mineral species that fluoresce. Then some minerals almost never fluoresce, but when they do, collectors want them!

KT went on a trip over Memorial Day weekend, drove down to a mineral symposium that was being hosted by the Tellus Museum of Cartersville, GA. If you every get by there, their mineral and fossil displays are well worth the time to look at! One of KT's friends, who could not be there, sent a fluorescent mineral care package via a mutual friend. Pictured below are 2 of the specimens he sent His Majesty. Both consist of larger hand sized specimens of calcite and willemite from the Franklin MIne, Sussex Co., NJ. The first one displays the typical texture, KT calls it "dispersed" minerals. The second one shows a calcite interbanded with willemite rich zones. Same two minerals are present, but the textures of the fluorescing images really is striking! The black mineral is franklinite and does not fluoresce. Both specimens are first shown in natural light and then in SWUV 254nm.

Enjoy! Notice even the images displaying the fluorescence are in focus! HA HA Enjoy!

Neat,and especially nice that the UV images are in focus !

What you call "dispersed" minerals I thought of as if they were "sprinkled" on like on a dessert but whatever you call it is a really neat effect

The second one you called calcite "interbanded" I thought of as "layered" I guess like a layer cake but also a neat effect too !

Hey, maybe your mineral specimens might inspire some ideas for decorating desserts

KT is glad to be back in his Castle! The Royal Bed was wonderful to get back to. Hotel beds, no matter how good, just do not cut it for KT.

Anyway, KT had ventured to Cartersville, GA, to attend a minerals symposium concerned with micro minerals (small crystals that require serious magnification to view).

At this meeting, there was a dealer present, who had purchased the micro mineral collection of the late Art Smith, Jr., who had been an associate and collecting friend of KT during the 1980s to 2005. KT acquired a number of Art's former specimens, including one that fluoresces!

KT was along on the trip when Art collected this specimen (actually KT had led the trip to the Batesville Lime Co. quarry, near Batesville, Independence Co., AR. Unfortunately since 9/11, the quarry has been closed to collectors.

Anyway, this specimen consists of a small pocket, lined with calcite crystals that are sprinkled with tiny marcasite blades, and the entire pocket has a wash of now dead petroleum, coating essentially everything. It is the dead hydrocarbons that fluoresce bright orange in LWUV 365nm light. Thicker layers of the hydrocarbon shows up in the first image as brown films coating calcite, but in the second image it can be seen that the rest of the calcite is also coated with a colorless film of dead hydrocarbon also. For some reason, the fluorescent image does not load in this comment, so KT will load it separately by itself in the next comment! Another way to skin a cat! HA HA

Anyway, KT recovered this specimen and returned it to the state it came from! Enjoy the pics!

Here is the fluorescent image described above!

That looks like a pretty good orange glow, looks like it might make a strong enough enough glow to cast a shadow

Here we have 3 specimens....first image of each is in natural light. These are all fist sized pieces.

First one was a gift from one of KT's friends in Kentucky. It is aragonite from a roadcut near Owingsville, Bath County. The first image is in natural light and the second is in LWUV 365nm.

The second specimen is Powellite from "A" level adit, Pure Creek Mine, Bishop, Inyo Co., California. The first image is in natural light and the second is in SWUV 254nm.

Finally the last pair of images are of Fluorite from the Shangbao Mine, Leiyang Co., Hunan Province, China. This one KT had been waiting a month for and when He arrived back at the Castle from His Royal Journey, it was waiting for His Majesty! The natural light image was hard to take because KT tried to show that the upper fluorite which is bluish grey is coating a layer of green fluorite....in the 2nd image, one can see that both layers fluoresce the same intense blue color under LWUV 365nm light.

Anyway, KT hopes you enjoy the pictures and there are quite a few more to come!

Wow, that is definitely a strong blue color, it is neat when minerals glow with such intensity !

Here are two more specimens that fluoresce!

The first is wavellite from Clear Springs Lake, Bartow, Polk Co., Florida, taken at 15X magnification with my USB led microscope. First image is natural light, second is LWUV 365 and third image is SWUV 254nm. Interesting that this specimen has different color responses to the two different lamps!

The second specimen is Hyaline (Opal-An) from the Diamond Jo Quarry, Magnet Cove, Hot Spring County, Arkansas. It is only 1 of two specimens I ever saw from that site. Images taken at 20X. First image is natural light, and second is with SWUV 254nm. The response is green, typical for opal with a trace of U.
This specimen is from Art Smith, Jr.'s collection.

Enjoy!

It is amazing not only the various colors some minerals can glow under UV but also the range of textures is neat also, the green has a kinda eerie look to it

 

[KingTotsalot]

A fluorescent gift!

KT received a care package from a fellow fluorescent mineral enthusiast and micro mineral hobbyist whilst in Georgia at the Tellus Museum Symposium. Upon arriving back at the Castle, KT tore into the package and found a number of things. This post shows you one item!

Using the Royal USB led microscope, KT examined sand from the Franklin Mine in New Jersey....there was a small spice jar, filled with this material. This was detritus from the crushing plant at the mine and it consists mostly of small cleaved grains of calcite and some scattered willemite, seen in the first picture. The second picture is the same view as seen under SWUV 254nm!

It's always fun to see what happens with a fluorescent light! This material is for sale on eBay.....a half pound for $5 plus $5 shipping. KT got a couple of ounces for free and its all He needs! Enjoy the pictures!

 

[GKL]

KT received a care package from a fellow fluorescent mineral enthusiast and micro mineral hobbyist whilst in Georgia at the Tellus Museum Symposium. Upon arriving back at the Castle, KT tore into the package and found a number of things. This post shows you one item!

Using the Royal USB led microscope, KT examined sand from the Franklin Mine in New Jersey....there was a small spice jar, filled with this material. This was detritus from the crushing plant at the mine and it consists mostly of small cleaved grains of calcite and some scattered willemite, seen in the first picture. The second picture is the same view as seen under SWUV 254nm!

It's always fun to see what happens with a fluorescent light! This material is for sale on eBay.....a half pound for $5 plus $5 shipping. KT got a couple of ounces for free and its all He needs! Enjoy the pictures!

Super neat KT !

That sand would also make for a neat display background for some specimens with contrasting colors !

I just checked ebay to see what was currently listed and just out of curiosity I wanted to see what came up on ebay as the most someone paid on ebay for a fluorescent mineral so I did a search using the words "fluorescent minerals" to show all the listings, then checked the box to show only "sold items" and saw where someone paid $9000.00 for one specimen but at least they offered free shipping (it was listed as "Tugtupite(6"x4"x3") Fl Red, Sorensenite, Fl Creamy-White, Kvanefjeld,Greenland")

.....definitely out of range for us budget minded people

If people can get that much for one specimen from Greenland people who like to travel should go there on a fluorescent mineral hunting expedition

I have a glow type item I recently got that I need to post, not a mineral, but a very small jar of Europium phosphorescent glow powder, I'll do a post on it soon, nothing spectacular, but still neat nonetheless (bought it because I was able to get it at less than 30% of normal price, I'll explain in the post)

 

[GKL]

Europium Glow Powder

This is not about a fluorescent mineral, but still neat nonetheless as it still has to do with stuff that glows under UV light - Europium Glow Powder

Let me explain how I got the Europium Glow Powder, it was due to being able to get it at less than 30% of the normal price !

An occasional casual side hobby I have is astronomy, so I get free email newsletters mentioning current or upcoming astronomy stuff to watch for, full or partial solar of lunar eclipses, what planets are visible in the night sky, any upcoming meteor showers, ect. What was super duper amazing was the total solar eclipse we were able to see right from our own front yard back in August of 2017 it was a really neat WOW experience !

Anyhow, a company associated with the newsletters sent an email saying if I do a survey they will give me a $10.00 off any purchase coupon good at their "My Science Shop" online store.

Well, being a budget minded person I figured I'd see what neat item I might get for free or close to free with using the $10.00 off coupon, but wanting to get something I could also make use of I settled on their Europium Glow Powder - Green which they listed for $14.00 (+ shipping) and the description said: "This amazing phosphorescent powder can glow 10x brighter and 10x longer than traditional glow-in-the-dark materials."

The small jar is about 2 inches high and 1 inch wide, now as neat as it is I likely would not have paid $14, but with the $10 off coupon making it only $4 I figured why not

It is a powder that can be mixed with a clear medium to make an intense glow in the dark paint. I already have some glow in the dark paint that is already fairly good, so I think I might take a small amount of that paint and make it even more intense by adding some of that glow powder and use it to paint the clock hands on a wall clock to make it really easy to see at night. (and any other places I want an extra intense glow to see at night, like light switches for example)

Anyhow, here is the jar in natural light and also in the dark after charging it using a UV flashlight.