Schalenblende, Pomorzany Mine, Olkusz, Poland
Contributed by: Chris Clemens
minID: 397-T88
Date: Apr 19th, 2026
Locality: Pomorzany Mine, Gmina Olkusz, Olkusz County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland (See on Mindat)
Size: 62 x 8 x 99 mm
Weight: 111 g
Description:
Schalenblende is an interesting rock composed of concentric layers of fine grained sphalerite, typically included with intergrown crystals of other sulfide minerals such as wurtzite, galena, and pyrite. In some specimens, the sphalerite is fluorescent under UV, displaying reniform and concentric bands of orange fluorescence. The two specimens featured here are from the Pomorzany Mine, Olkusz, Poland, and provide good examples of fluorescent schalenblende at its best.
The last two pictures show a roughly triangular, cut block of schalenblende with polished surfaces, from the Pomorzany Mine, Olkusz, Poland. The reverse side is natural. Shown here under longwave UV (left) and visible light (right). The sphalerite component shows concentric bands of orange fluorescence. The size of this specimen is 66 x 59 x 22 mm.
Originally posted by Chris Clemens on Nature's Rainbows in 2020.
Summary of luminescence responses:
Schalenblende (Mindat) (RRUFF)
- Fluorescence under Longwave (365nm LED) UV light: Orange