Mineral Fluorescence

In December 2013 Charles Mazel (NIGHTSEA) and Earl Verbeek (then at the Sterling Hill Mining Museum, now curator at the Franklin Mineral Museum) explored the extensive collection of the Franklin Mineral Museum (Franklin, New Jersey, USA) for instances of blue-light-stimulated fluorescence. When fluorescence occurred, the specimen was photographed under white light, shortwave ultraviolet light, longwave ultraviolet light, and blue light. Below are some striking examples.

To see a wider selection of what was discovered and to download a pdf of the paper they wrote about blue light mineral fluorescence go to the summary article of all posts to date.

 

                  White Light                            Shortwave UV                         Longwave UV                            Blue Light                    

Mineral (primary) – Norbergite and corundum (ruby)

Norbergite, white light         Norbergite fluorescing under shortwave ultraviolet light         Norbergite and corundum fluorescing under longwave ultraviolet light         Norbergite and corundum fluorescing under blue light

Mineral (primary) – Charlesite + Clinohedrite

          Charlesite + clinohedrite, white light         Charlesite + clinohedrite fluorescing under shortwave ultraviolet light         Charlesite + clinohedrite fluorescing under longwave ultraviolet light         Charlesite + clinohedrite fluorescing under blue light

Mineral (primary) – Roeblingite

          Roeblingite, white light         Roeblingite fluorescing under shortwave ultraviolet light         Roeblingite fluorescing under longwave ultraviolet light         Roeblingite fluorescing under blue light

Mineral (primary) – Hemimorphite

          Hemimorphite, white light         Hemimorphite fluorescing under shortwave ultraviolet light         Hemimorphite fluorescing under longwave ultraviolet light         Hemimorphite fluorescing under blue light