Table of Contents

• Waiting for von Goethe by Conrad North 1–3
• From the Editor by Howie Green 3–4
• Imitating Nature's Art by Steve Caldwell 4–8
• Rocky Mountain Chapter of the FMS at the 2019 Denver Gem & Mineral Show by Brian Walko 9–11
• The Southwest Chapter’s Tour of George Polman’s Fluorescent Mineral Museum Room by Kevin Witts 11–12
• Fluorescent Minerals at the Idaho Gem Club Annual “Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show,” February 22 and 23, 2020 by Philip S. Neuhoff 13–14
• 25th Annual FOMS / Sterling Hill Gem, Mineral & Jewelry Show & Outdoor Swap by — 14

Waiting for von Goethe

By Conrad North · pp. 1–3

Unidentified fluorescent specimens can send a collector on a long, uncertain research trail. Conrad North recounts several puzzling acquisitions, including an unknown specimen bought from a dealer and a multicolored fluorescent concretion found near Opal Hill outside Grand Junction, Colorado. He describes using reference books and other collectors’ suggestions to investigate such finds, and connects the essay’s title to Goethe’s studies of light and color. The piece also reflects on the challenges of documenting specimens with incomplete locality or mineral identification.

From the Editor

By Howie Green · pp. 3–4

The editor asks readers to contribute photographs and stories about remarkable fluorescent specimens, proposing a revival of the recurring feature “Every Fluoro Tells a Story.” To demonstrate, he shares the history and fluorescence of danburite, including material from Charcas, San Luis Potosi, Mexico, where some crystals show blue or green responses and may occur with red-fluorescing calcite. A Tucson-area purchase story follows the author’s search for a striking danburite specimen and its eventual acquisition at the Miner’s Co-op.

Imitating Nature's Art

By Steve Caldwell · pp. 4–8

Flameworked borosilicate glass can reproduce and enhance visual effects found in nature, including UV-activated fluorescence and thin-film interference colors. The article surveys fluorescent glass compositions and examines how melting and color-striking treatments can change their response under different UV wavelengths. It also explains how multilayer dichroic coatings create angle-dependent colors, and how heating can make those coatings break into decorative patterns in glass marbles. Examples include vortex marbles, fluorescent glass, and interference effects compared with natural examples such as fire agate and iridescent hematite.

Rocky Mountain Chapter of the FMS at the 2019 Denver Gem & Mineral Show

By Brian Walko · pp. 9–11

The Rocky Mountain Chapter’s fluorescent mineral room at the 2019 Denver Gem & Mineral Show featured seven display cases and an education room. Displays included Canadian specimens, Franklin, New Jersey minerals, common shortwave- and longwave-responsive examples, and notable pieces such as barite with calcite, fibrous wollastonite, and margarosanite with roeblingite. The report describes educational exhibits, hands-on demonstrations with the “Three Amigos” specimens, and a seminar on fluorescent mineral photography by Jeff Scovil and Michael Bainbridge. It also notes plans for a larger 2020 display focused on fluorite.

The Southwest Chapter’s Tour of George Polman’s Fluorescent Mineral Museum Room

By Kevin Witts · pp. 11–12

Fourteen Southwest Chapter members visited George and Deborah Polman’s home in Phoenix to view George’s fluorescent mineral collection and display room. The report describes a carefully spaced, eye-level cabinet of Franklin Mine specimens illuminated by shortwave UV, as well as extensive wall shelving lit by a triple-wavelength lamp. Specimens highlighted include a strongly phosphorescent sphalerite from the Horn Silver mine, which could be marked with a violet laser. The gathering also offered members specimens, display advice, collection browsing, and discussion of future chapter activities.

Fluorescent Minerals at the Idaho Gem Club Annual “Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show,” February 22 and 23, 2020

By Philip S. Neuhoff · pp. 13–14

The Idaho Gem Club’s annual Boise show presented fluorescent minerals in a 400-square-foot blackout tent, with 14 displays during the 2020 event. Collections included Franklin and Sterling Hill material, worldwide specimens, and local Idaho minerals. Featured local examples were longwave-blue fluorite from Challis, orange-red scapolite from McCall, uranyl-activated chalcedony in thundereggs and geodes, and hyalite from Owyhee County. The report notes the popularity of a motorized Franklin display and the club’s support for members’ use of UV lamps.

25th Annual FOMS / Sterling Hill Gem, Mineral & Jewelry Show & Outdoor Swap

p. 14

The notice advertises the 25th annual FOMS / Sterling Hill Gem, Mineral & Jewelry Show and outdoor swap in Franklin, New Jersey. The indoor show is scheduled for April 25, 2020, at the Littell Community Center, with the outdoor swap beginning earlier that morning; events continue on April 26. The listed admission donation is six dollars per person, with children under 14 admitted free with a paying adult. The notice provides the venue address and a Facebook link for additional information.