Selenite (gypsum), Conecuh Co., AL, near Castleberry
Contributed by: FMS Admin
Date: Mar 1st, 2026
Locality: Castleberry, Conecuh County, Alabama, USA (See on Mindat)
Size: 5 x 3 x 10 cm
Weight: 142 g
Description:
This selenite is not especially bright, but the eerie bluish-greenish-white glow is, to my eye, a thing of beauty and fascination nonetheless. The observed fluorescence is a bit stronger under SW than under LW UV, and I never get tired of watching the slow decay of its SW phosphorescence, as though the stone\'s essence, once brought to life by the SW UV beam, stubbornly refuses to die when the light is extinguished. Shown here are the SW UV fluorescence and the daylight appearance of the specimen. I also included my feeble, largely unsuccessful attempt to capture its beguiling phosphorescence.
Originally published by Bill Fowler on Nature’s Rainbows.
Summary of luminescence responses:
Gypsum var. Selenite (Mindat) (RRUFF)
- Fluorescence under Shortwave (254nm Lamp/Mercury) UV light: Blue
- Afterglow after exposure to Shortwave (254nm Lamp/Mercury) UV light: Blue