Wollastonite, Calcite and Possible Hardystonite - Desert View Mine
Contributed by: Chris Clemens
Date: Apr 29th, 2026
Locality: Desert View Mine, Fawnskin (Grout), Bear Valley District, San Bernardino County, California, USA (See on Mindat)
Size: 43 x 22 x 61 mm
Weight: 48 g
Description:
This colorful fluorescent specimen is from the Desert View Mine, Holcomb Valley, San Bernardino Mountains, San Bernardino County, California, and predominantly contains bright yellow, fluorescent wollastonite and red fluorescent calcite. The first photograph was taken under shortwave UV (254nm).
The Desert View Mine location is notable because it is mineralogically like the Franklin-Sterling Hill area of New Jersey, and hosts a suite of rare minerals, some of which are found at only these two locations. One such mineral, blue, fluorescent hardystonite, had previously been thought to only occur as part of the assemblage of Parker Shaft minerals from Franklin, until its discovery at the Desert View mine in 2012. The following close-up photograph of this specimen, taken under shortwave UV, shows a region that appears to contain small blebs of a blue, fluorescent mineral, perhaps hardystonite (indicated by arrow).
Originally posted by Chris Clemens on Nature's Rainbows in 2017.
Summary of luminescence responses:
Calcite (Mindat) (RRUFF)
- Fluorescence under Shortwave (254nm Lamp/Mercury) UV light: Red
- Fluorescence under Shortwave (254nm Lamp/Mercury) UV light: Blue
- Fluorescence under Shortwave (254nm Lamp/Mercury) UV light: Yellow