Fluorescent, Phosphorescent and Thermoluminescent Fluorite from the Globe Mine (Rio Arriba)

by | Minerals

This article was originally published by Stefano Buzzoni on Nature’s Rainbow.

This kind of fluorite was well described by Robbins (1984). “…This material is opaque, and greenish or gray in daylight. Under long wave, the fluorescence is violet. Under short wave, the fluorescence is a surprising and intense canary yellow, and both wavelengths produce greenish phosphorescence….” The yellow fluorescence is probably due to dysprosium (Robbins 1994).

But what Robbins omitted is that this fluorite is Thermoluminescent too. Thermoluminescence is green and become yellow as the temperature rise again. Thermoluminescence is reversible and some temperature cycles don’t destroy fluorescence if temperature doesn’t rise too much.

Origin: Globe Mine, Petaca District, Rio Arriba Co. New Mexico, USA
Dimension: 4.3 x 2.6 x 1.9 cm
Weight: 30g

Thermoluminescence: Macro of four small pieces…. the yellow one is hotter than the others.
Normal light.
Phosphorescence.
Shortwave fluorescence.
Longwave fluorescence.

Glownotes

Tags: Fluorite | Thermoluminescence

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