Calcite and Fluorite from the Weishan Mine, China
Contributed by: Michael Crawford
Date: Jul 10th, 2025
Locality: Weishan Mine (Chisan Mine; Chishan alkaline complex; Xishan Mine; Deposit No. 101), Weishan County, Jining, Shandong, China (See on Mindat)
Size: 12 x 15 cm
Description:
A fluorite and calcite specimen from the Weishan Mine, Weishan County, Shandong Province, China. The Weishan Mine is a rare earth deposit. The fluorescent minerals in this specimen are activated by several rare earth elements (REE) (yttrium, europium, cerium, neodymium, and dysprosium). The fluorite has typical blue fluorescence under longwave, midwave, and shortwave illumination. The blue fluorescence peak at 422 nm is activated by europium for all wavelengths of UV illumination. Shortwave emission spectra indicate that the fluorite is the variety yttrofluorite. The shortwave spectrum has a significant peak in the ultraviolet with a maximum at 311 nm that is activated by yttrium. A vertical expansion of emission intensity of the shortwave spectrum shows several smaller peaks. The peak at 382 nm may be caused by neodymium and peaks at 476 nm and 571 nm may be caused by dysprosium.
Some of the calcite in the specimen also has ultraviolet fluorescence. It has peaks at 340 nm and 362 nm caused by cerium activation. The ultraviolet fluorescence is much brighter than the red visible fluorescence. The red fluorescence is activated by manganese. The calcite fluorescence is brightest under midwave light and the midwave emission spectrum of this red fluorescence peaks at 625 nm.
The false color image of the ultraviolet fluorescence shows the yttrofluorite as blue and the calcite is green. Not all of the calcite that is red in the visible images is fluorescent in the ultraviolet image.
Summary of luminescence responses:
Fluorite (Mindat) (RRUFF)
- Fluorescence under Longwave (365nm LED) UV light: Blue
- Fluorescence under Midwave (305nm LED) UV light: Blue
- Fluorescence under Shortwave (255nm LED) UV light: Blue
- Fluorescence under Midwave (305nm LED) UV light: Red
- Fluorescence under Midwave (305nm LED) UV light: Red