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Post by 150FromFundy on Jan 31, 2014 18:06:27 GMT -5
As part of my obsessive-compulsive disorder with collecting all things rock, I’ve recently started collecting fluorescent minerals. There’s both long-wave and short-wave hiding out there. These are a few of my long wave fluorescent photographed under crappy indoor white light, and in the dark under long-wave fluorescent light. Enjoy something a little different. Darryl. Lapis Lazuli – Afghanistan Scapolite – Craigmont Mine, Craigmont, Ontario Calcite – Challenger Cave System, Nuevo Leon, Mexico Scapolite – Gibbs Lake, Fort Cologne, Quebec Hackmanite – Unknown Location Ussingite – Tunaliarfik Fjord, Greenland Scapolite – Beluga Pit, Kimmirut, Baffin Island, Nunavut Fluorite – Huan, China Orange Calcite – Unknown Location
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,179
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Post by jamesp on Jan 31, 2014 18:12:35 GMT -5
Does a plain black light from the gadget shop have long wave length? I want to test my collection.
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Post by 150FromFundy on Jan 31, 2014 18:56:20 GMT -5
James: I can't say if all the black lights available will cause long wave minerals to fluoresce, but a number of them will. If you've ever walked into a cheesy bar and had your white T-shirt light up like a Christmas tree, you experienced what is known as Black Light Blue (BLB). I have a small 4-Watt, 4" long BLB tube that runs on 4-AAA batteries. Portable for field collecting. There are also higher power plug in models available. If you can find the right tube from GE, or Sylvania, you can even make your own with a typical fluorescent ballast and hood. Look for a BLB tube that puts out light in the 365 nanometer to 400 nanometer wavelength. A really cool feature of these lights is that you can collect scorpions at night. I guess they like to come out at night and will fluoresce brightly. HUH! You may be able to find more information on the Fluorescent Mineral Society web page. uvminerals.org/fms/uvlightsLong-wave is fun and painless. Short-wave is even more fun, but requires a little more caution to avoid blindness, sunburn, and skin cancer. Be careful, you'll get hooked. Watch out for the scorpions! Darryl.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 31, 2014 20:06:53 GMT -5
Does a plain black light from the gadget shop have long wave length? I want to test my collection. Yes. But not a ton. Enough to have a look.
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Post by pauls on Jan 31, 2014 20:36:08 GMT -5
Thats interesting about the Lapis, I have never even tried it. Any fossils you have got give them a go, they are often calcite and glow nicely. Some Opals glow, some Agates Glow, if you have any of the greenish yellow Agates from Queensland check them. Ruby glows, some Zircons. Just start shining the light on everything. The really cheap UV lights (and LEDs) aren't much good they emit too much visible light.
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Post by pauls on Jan 31, 2014 20:38:04 GMT -5
Thats interesting about the Lapis, I have never even tried it. Any fossils you have got give them a go, they are often calcite and glow nicely. Some Opals glow, some Agates Glow, if you have any of the greenish yellow Agates from Queensland check them. Ruby glows, some Zircons. Just start shining the light on everything. The really cheap UV lights (and LEDs) aren't much good they emit too much visible light.
Sorry for the double post. fumble fingers, thats me.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,179
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Post by jamesp on Jan 31, 2014 20:39:30 GMT -5
James: I can't say if all the black lights available will cause long wave minerals to fluoresce, but a number of them will. If you've ever walked into a cheesy bar and had your white T-shirt light up like a Christmas tree, you experienced what is known as Black Light Blue (BLB). I have a small 4-Watt, 4" long BLB tube that runs on 4-AAA batteries. Portable for field collecting. There are also higher power plug in models available. If you can find the right tube from GE, or Sylvania, you can even make your own with a typical fluorescent ballast and hood. Look for a BLB tube that puts out light in the 365 nanometer to 400 nanometer wavelength. A really cool feature of these lights is that you can collect scorpions at night. I guess they like to come out at night and will fluoresce brightly. HUH! You may be able to find more information on the Fluorescent Mineral Society web page. uvminerals.org/fms/uvlightsLong-wave is fun and painless. Short-wave is even more fun, but requires a little more caution to avoid blindness, sunburn, and skin cancer. Be careful, you'll get hooked. Watch out for the scorpions! Darryl. Thanks Darryl. I think my stuff has calcite. I think i found barite as a kid and it glowed strong. Sounds like a good time. I will end up getting a light. Gotta see what happens.
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halitedigger
starting to spend too much on rocks
Lost in the Mojave, Sierras or Itoigawa
Member since September 2013
Posts: 104
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Post by halitedigger on Jan 31, 2014 21:02:00 GMT -5
My Home Depot black light will do long wave, it's the short wave that are the problem. Those lights aren't cheap! I got a little portable one just for my Benitoite and it was well worth it. Lights up all kinds of other rocks in my office and has opened up a whole new world as you said. Oh the burden of collecting rocks!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 31, 2014 21:05:09 GMT -5
I am told by one of the gurus on the fluorescents trip I did with rockncajun that calcite is best excited by "mid-range" UV(B).
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quartz
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breakin' rocks in the hot sun
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Post by quartz on Jan 31, 2014 23:44:58 GMT -5
Thanks for the show, we enjoy fluorescent minerals a bunch. Now that we have more free time, retired, wanting a portable light to fiddle with.
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
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Post by jamesp on Feb 1, 2014 3:50:49 GMT -5
Found a good article on fluorescent minerals. This sketch is a key to the fluorescent rocks and minerals in the large color image at the top of this page. The fluorescent minerals in each specimen are: 1. Cerussite, Barite - Morocco; 2. Scapolite - Canada; 3. Hardystonite (blue), Calcite (red), Willemite (green) - New Jersey; 4. Dolomite - Sweden; 5. Adamite - Mexico; 6. Scheelite - unknown locality; 7. Agate - Utah; 8. Tremolite - New York; 9. Willemite - New Jersey; 10. Dolomite - Sweden; 11. Fluorite, Calcite - Switzerland; 12. Calcite - Romania; 13. Rhyolite - unknown locality; 14. Dolomite - Sweden; 15. Willemite (green), Calcite (red), Franklinite, Rhodonite - New Jersey; 16. Eucryptite - Zimbabwe; 17. Calcite - Germany; 18. Calcite in a Septarian nodule - Utah; 19. Fluorite - England; 20. Calcite - Sweden; 21. Calcite, Dolomite - Sardinia; 22. Dripstones - Turkey; 23. Scheelite - unknown locality; 24. Aragonite - Sicily; 25. Benitoite - California; 26. Quartz Geode - Germany; 27. Dolomite, Iron Ore - Sweden; 28. Unknown; 29. Synthetic Corundum; 30. Powellite - India; 31. Hyalite (opal) - Hungary; 32. Vlasovite in Eudyalite - Canada; 33. Spar Calcite - Mexico; 34. Manganocalcite? - Sweden; 35. Clinohydrite, Hardystonite, Willemite, Calcite - New Jersey; 36. Calcite - Switzerland; 37. Apatite, Diopside - United States; 38. Dolostone - Sweden; 39. Fluorite - England; 40. Manganocalcite - Peru; 41. Hemimorphite with Sphalerite in gange - Germany; 42. Unknown; 43. Unknown; 44. Unknown; 45. Dolomite - Sweden; 46. Chalcedony - unknown locality; 47 Willemite, Calcite - New Jersey.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,179
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Post by jamesp on Feb 1, 2014 4:07:25 GMT -5
As part of my obsessive-compulsive disorder with collecting all things rock, I’ve recently started collecting fluorescent minerals. There’s both long-wave and short-wave hiding out there. These are a few of my long wave fluorescent photographed under crappy indoor white light, and in the dark under long-wave fluorescent light. Read more: forum.rocktumblinghobby.com/thread/64092/long-wave-fluorescent-minerals#ixzz2s3kqWW3II was in group of spelunkers in high school. I took some materials out of the cave and they fluoresced heavily. My older sister had a 'black light' and a room full of fluorescent paint and a strong smell of herb. I would shine it on my rocks and remember fluorite, barite, calcite and cave pearls/stalactites glowed strong. Cartersville Georgia had some open pit barite mines and i used to find museum grade barite crystals clusters. That is a heavy rock. Anyway, i always wanted a portable light for collecting. I am hoping the coral and coastal plain cherts will fluoresce.
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Feb 1, 2014 14:05:54 GMT -5
I picked up a CFL black light bulb, but haven't used it yet. My understanding is that the incandescent "black light" party bulbs don't actually put out much UV, but fluorescents do better.
Chuck
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Post by pghram on Feb 2, 2014 16:14:23 GMT -5
Another issue may be too much visible light given off that washes out the fl of the minerals.
Rich
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