4-Color Starry Sky from Long Lake Zinc Mine, Canada
Contributed by: Mark Cole
Date: Mar 11th, 2026
Locality: Long Lake Zinc Mine (Richardson Zinc Mine; Lynx Mine), Olden Township, Frontenac County, Ontario, Canada (See on Mindat)
Size: 4 x 3 x 5 inches
Weight: 2.64 lb
Description:
I visited this area three times several years ago and spent some serious time busting boulders. If you find the right piece it can be exquisite, bright and complex. This piece shows the layered habit that I was searching for. It appears to be calcite overwhelmed by the 3 other minerals, causing the purplish fluorescence. Chondrodite (yellow), diopside (blue), aragonite (white), and calcite (red/purple).
SW fluorescent picture was taken at ISO-100, f/11.4 for 4 seconds.
Originally posted by Mark Cole on Nature's Rainbows.
Summary of luminescence responses:
Aragonite (Mindat) (RRUFF)
- Fluorescence under Shortwave (254nm Lamp/Mercury) UV light: White
- Fluorescence under Longwave (365nm LED) UV light: Red
- Fluorescence under Shortwave (254nm Lamp/Mercury) UV light: Yellow
- Fluorescence under Shortwave (254nm Lamp/Mercury) UV light: Blue