Report from the (2018) Tucson mineral shows
Normally I do not send around a report, but now that I have some responsibility with the FMS, I consider it a duty (and a nice one). I have been going to the Tucson shows for 30+ years and have seen just about everything, but every year is a bit different, and there...
Helvetia Trip Report 2017
Helvetia. Just the name conjures up all sorts of thoughts, images and expectations. Goddesses, Switzerland, and perhaps even hell itself. Who knew what awaited us in the heart of the Arizona desert?Dan Moore, a resident of the area, had researched the area looking for...
Buyers Guide to the new 365 nm LED UV flashlights
I have happily been using and recommending the Convoy S2+ 365 nm UV flashlight since early 2017 when Mark Cole first posted about it. It is a fantastic product, small and powerful and cheap. However, it is a little too small and I found myself putting it down and...
“Black Rose” Fluorite: Fluorescence will ultimately fade to a dim blue after long exposure to LW
There have been several posts i our FB group lately about this fluorite listed on eBay as "Black Rose" from China sellers. Specific locale unknown. The pictures seemed unbelievable so I had to get one for myself to see. They are kind of believable, for a little while....
The Fluorescence of Elemental Sulfur: Real or Perceived Phenomenon?
There was a post in the fluorescent mineral group about sulfur fluorescing a dull green under SW on a piece of calcite from Michigan, and a discussion about this being real fluorescence ensued. I have several pieces of similar material from Italy and had noticed what...
What is Tenebrescence?
In the early 1800's geologists noted that some specimens of sodalite from Greenland exhibited a bright pink color on freshly broken surfaces. This color rapidly faded ("bleached") upon exposure to bright light, reverting back to its original (natural?) color. Exposure...
How does light, heat, and time affect tenebrescence?
The following article is the summary of multiple conversations from the Fluorescent Minerals Facebook group, where people experimented with tenebrescent minerals and reported their observations. Tenebrescence is a reversible photochromic phenomenon in which a mineral...
A quatuor of fluorescent fluorites
Anyone with a basic fluorescent minerals collection has a blue-fluorescing fluorite, the most common color in fluorescent fluorites; many also have cream-white fluorescing fluorites (either the so-called "rootbeer" fluorite, or "non-rootbeer" amber colored ones like...
“Rainbow” assortment of longwave UV reactive minerals
As all experienced fluorescent minerals collectors know, shortwave UV is the wavelength under which there's the greatest variety of fluorescent colors in UV reactive minerals, and many either fluoresce only under shortwave, or are at their best under this wavelength....
Blue Light Fluorescence – Who needs UV anyway?
Originally posted on Nature's Rainbows by Graham Fraser. We all are familiar with fluorescence caused by UV. But an ordinary blue light (blue LED) does a pretty good job when combined with some yellow glasses to block the blue and let through the other colors. A very...