Fluorescent Quartz from Broken Hill, Australia
Contributed by: Michael Crawford
Date: Jun 20th, 2025
Locality: Broken Hill, Broken Hill district, Yancowinna Co., New South Wales, Australia (See on Mindat)
Size: 9 x 9 cm
Description:
This specimen features rare red fluorescent quartz from the Nine Mile Consolidated Mine, Broken Hill Mining District, New South Wales, Australia. The quartz ID was confirmed by XRD analysis. Its fluorescence is brightest under shortwave (SW) UV light and dimmer under midwave (MW) UV light, with a broad peak around 610 nm, likely activated by manganese. There is also a brighter peak at 350 nm in the ultraviolet spectrum.
Other fluorescent minerals in the specimen include feldspar and apatite. Feldspar fluoresces bluish-white under SW UV light and dark violet-blue under MW UV light, similar to plumbian orthoclase from other mines in the district. The MW fluorescent spectra have a peak at 395 nm, while SW fluorescence shows peaks at 395 nm and 343 nm, though the 343 nm peak intensity is lower in this specimen. The daylight green color of the plumbian orthoclase found at other Broken Hill locations has not been reported in Nine Mile Mine specimens. Also, the red fluorescent quartz has not been reported from other Broken Hill Mines.
This Nine Mile Mine specimen also contains small grains of fluorescent apatite that is best seen in the MW image. They appear as yellow grains in the MW image. The plumbian orthoclase specimens also contain apatite.
Summary of luminescence responses:
Quartz
- Fluorescence under Shortwave (255nm LED) UV light: Red
- Fluorescence under Shortwave (255nm LED) UV light: White
- Fluorescence under Midwave (305nm LED) UV light: Violet
- Fluorescence under Midwave (305nm LED) UV light: Yellow