Table of Contents
- Remembering Tom Warren by — 1
- Looking Ahead to Look Back by Tom S. Warren, with an introduction by Corby Waste 2–12
- A Visit to the Madison Lead Mine by Stephen Tapsak 13–15
- Unusual Fluorescence of Scheelite from Ophir, Tooele County, Utah by Brendan J. Dunn 16–17
- Eye Candy: Scheelite from Ophir, Tooele County, Utah by Steve Scott 18
- Our Fluorescent Closet Project, 2022 by Bambi and Brad Harmon 19–20
- This Just In! by Paul Bordovsky 20
- Collecting Barite at Book Cliffs, Near Grand Junction, Colorado by Kat Schaeffer 21–23
- Barite from the Book Cliffs, Near Grand Junction, Colorado: Fluorescence by Howie Green 24–29
Remembering Tom Warren
p. 1
Thomas S. Warren’s work helped establish fluorescent-mineral collecting as a hobby and brought ultraviolet lamps into widespread use. Warren founded Ultra-Violet Products, developed the Mineralight, advised collectors, supported the Fluorescent Mineral Society, and contributed to its early publications and events. This remembrance also notes his role in improving ultraviolet filters, his fluorescent-mineral displays, and his reputation as a generous advocate whose enthusiasm influenced generations of collectors.
Looking Ahead to Look Back
By Tom S. Warren, with an introduction by Corby Waste · pp. 2–12
Thomas Warren recounts his five decades in ultraviolet lamps and fluorescent-mineral collecting, from starting Ultra-Violet Products during the Depression to developing portable lamps and supplying prospectors, miners, museums, and collectors. Corby Waste introduces the memoir with an account of a 1994 field trip with Warren near Benson, Arizona. Warren recalls wartime scheelite prospecting, collecting across the American West and Franklin, New Jersey, and the filter improvements that made brighter, longer-lasting displays possible.
A Visit to the Madison Lead Mine
By Stephen Tapsak · pp. 13–15
A collecting visit to the former Madison Lead Mine in New Hampshire examines its zinc- and lead-bearing dumps and the fluorescent minerals found there. Sphalerite, cerussite, hydrozincite, calcite, and smithsonite show varied responses under ultraviolet illumination, while local fluorite specimens did not fluoresce. The article also describes the flooded mine pit, mill remains, and tailings beside Cook’s Pond, and offers observations from a brief daytime visit to the public town-forest site.
Unusual Fluorescence of Scheelite from Ophir, Tooele County, Utah
By Brendan J. Dunn · pp. 16–17
A scheelite specimen from the Ophir Hill Consolidated Mine in Utah displays the familiar blue-white response under short-wave ultraviolet light and an unusual orange-red response under mid-wave light, with no long-wave response. The article compares this behavior with other reported two-color scheelite occurrences and reviews evidence that rare-earth lanthanoids, particularly trivalent samarium, may activate the orange-red emission. Spectroscopic testing is proposed to determine whether the same cause applies to the Ophir specimen.
Eye Candy: Scheelite from Ophir, Tooele County, Utah
By Steve Scott · p. 18
A display specimen of scheelite and calcite from Ophir, Utah, is presented through photographs in white light and under ultraviolet illumination. The specimen’s crystals and matrix make a visually striking contribution to Steve Scott’s fluorescent-mineral collection and were shown in the top row of the 2022 Tucson fluorescent-mineral display. The accompanying caption notes the specimen’s approximate dimensions and emphasizes the distinctive appearance of the material in short-wave ultraviolet light.
Our Fluorescent Closet Project, 2022
By Bambi and Brad Harmon · pp. 19–20
Bambi and Brad Harmon describe converting a home closet into a fluorescent-mineral display, building a raised floor and arranging vertical ultraviolet lamps to illuminate specimens with fewer shadows. Their setup uses short-wave and long-wave lighting, custom risers, darkening blinds, and a dedicated electrical circuit to display a collection of about 130 specimens. The project grew from their participation in the Fluorescent Mineral Society’s Tucson 2022 display and has since become a setting for visits by museum groups, students, and local collectors.
This Just In!
By Paul Bordovsky · p. 20
A recently submitted specimen of fluorite from Mina Ojuela, in Mapimí Municipality, Durango, Mexico, is featured after arriving too late for the previous issue. The 75-millimeter specimen was purchased in Tucson in 2018 and is shown both in visible light and under long-wave ultraviolet illumination. The brief presentation records its locality, size, and acquisition while highlighting its appearance under the two lighting conditions.
Collecting Barite at Book Cliffs, Near Grand Junction, Colorado
By Kat Schaeffer · pp. 21–23
The Book Cliffs collecting area north of Grand Junction, Colorado, yields barite and calcite crystals within nodules in the Mancos Shale. Kat Schaeffer describes the semi-arid site, access and safety considerations, and practical methods for opening nodules without damaging their contents. Water-clear prismatic barite, white and amber-toned barite, calcite, and iron-bearing dolomite occur in the concretions; some of the amber barite fluoresces yellow under long-wave ultraviolet light. The article also notes the value of night collecting.
Barite from the Book Cliffs, Near Grand Junction, Colorado: Fluorescence
By Howie Green · pp. 24–29
Barite concretions from the Book Cliffs contain generations of crystals with different optical and ultraviolet responses. Clear, later-generation prismatic barite generally does not fluoresce, while earlier amber or “root beer” barite at crystal bases produces yellow fluorescence, strongest under long-wave ultraviolet light, and may show a yellow-green afterglow. Observations and expert input suggest possible organic activation, consistent with the marine shale setting, but analyses have not fully identified the active material. The article also discusses dolomite, calcite, and kaolinite associated with the specimens.