Greenland Hackmanite: Quick Change Artist, Tenebrescent Champion
This article was originally published on Nature’s Rainbow. Tenebrescence of Greenland sodalite is amazing. This is a piece of a deeply tenebrescent sodalite. Note how when the SW light is first turned on the sodalite fluoresces a bright orange but almost immediately...
Agate from Scott’s Gulf, Smyrna, Tennessee
This article was originally published on Nature’s Rainbow in August 2017. A major component of rock collecting (for me) is simply getting out in nature. A buddy dragged me out to a very remote area here in middle TN to hunt for agate. Since I'm a pure "Glow Hound" I...
The Fluorescent Minerals of Greenland
This article was originally published on Nature’s Rainbow. The Ilímaussaq complex is one of the world's most fascinating igneous complexes. The abundance of rare elements has resulted in more than two hundred and twenty-five different minerals and many unique...
A Short History of Fluorescence
Dr. Beniamino Barbieri (of the Fluorescence Foundation) gave a lecture on the history of fluorescence. His slides are reposted here (w/ permission), where they can easily be found by our mineral folks. This was written mostly towards biologic fluorescence, but...
Another Esperite Photography Tutorial
This article was originally published on Nature's Rainbow in 2017. After a recent recurring discussion on the photography of Esperite, I posted an image I created several years ago. Someone asked how I did it, and because I documented what I did in an email discussion...
Converting a Transilluminator into a Short Wave Lamp
This article was originally published by Dennis Michael on Nature's Rainbow. My small hand-held short wave lamp is useful, but has its limitations. I was interested in a much more powerful light for display and photography. After some research and talking to...
Do All Rubies Fluoresce the Same?
A member asked a practical question: do all rubies fluoresce the same way, and if they do not, can weak fluorescence be predicted from the way a specimen looks in daylight? The answer is no on both counts. Rubies do not all fluoresce the same way. Some glow intensely,...
The Rock Cycle Illustrated
Although not specifically fluorescent mineral oriented, these graphics are a great illustration of how our rocks are created. Just add some activators into the cycle and we have fluorescent rocks!Processes that shape the earth's surface are ongoing, continuously or...
What’s the Difference Between Fluorescence and Bioluminescence?
What’s the difference between fluorescence and bioluminescence? We illuminate the biochemical distinctions.
The Definitive Guide to Franklin/Sterling Hill Wollastonite
A regularly recurring question in our Facebook Fluorescent Mineral Group is the differences between the various wollastonites found the the Ogdensburg area (areas around Franklin NJ). If you are a serious Franklin collector you can almost identify what boulder at...