Table of Contents

• Beam Me Up Sayunei… Part 1 by Conrad North 1–2
• From the Editor — The Epting Collection; Why Bother? by Howie Green 3–4
• Acquiring a Fluorescent Mineral Estate by Jim Herbold 4–8
• TGMS 2020 – 49 Years and Counting by Conrad North 8–10
• Triple T – A Lovely Fluorescent Rock from New York by John H. Smith 10–13
• A to Zektzerite – The One That Got Away by Ed V. Gage and Randy V. Gage 13–15
• Zektzerite from the Darai-Pioz Massif, Pamir-Alay Mountains, Tajikistan by D. I. Belakovskiy 15–17
• Every Fluoro Tells a Story by Don Newsome 17
• MineralApp: An Application to Catalog Your Mineral Collection by Simone Conti 18

Beam Me Up Sayunei… Part 1

By Conrad North · pp. 1–2

A lifelong fascination with space exploration leads to the author’s discovery of the Fluorescent Mineral Society. Recalling childhood adventures, early NASA missions, and a visit to Bell Telephone Laboratories, the essay traces how an interest in space and rocks endured despite a change in career plans. A 2012 issue of UV Waves, featuring fluorescent minerals on the Moon and UV LEDs on the Mars rover Curiosity, rekindled that interest and prompted the author to join the Society.

From the Editor — The Epting Collection; Why Bother?

By Howie Green · pp. 3–4

The Epting fluorescent mineral collection prompts reflections on generativity, collecting, and stewardship. Drawing on Erik Erikson’s ideas about identity and legacy, the editor contrasts his own experience with that of Jim Herbold, who acquired an extensive Franklin collection and hopes to circulate its specimens among new collectors. The column considers how collections can connect generations, preserve knowledge, and inspire future interest in fluorescent minerals, while also raising practical questions about heirs and the long-term care of specimens.

Acquiring a Fluorescent Mineral Estate

By Jim Herbold · pp. 4–8

A chance visit to a local mineral estate sale leads to the acquisition of roughly 3,000 fluorescent specimens, along with lamps, books, and competition trophies. The collection includes Franklin material, Salton Sea halite, Napa lemon opal, Balmat anthophyllite, Mexican fluorite, and many other North American specimens. The account follows the collection’s history, sorting, display, and incomplete documentation, and considers the buyer’s responsibility to catalog specimens, retain locality information, share material with new collectors, and plan for its future.

TGMS 2020 – 49 Years and Counting

By Conrad North · pp. 8–10

The Fluorescent Mineral Society’s 2020 Tucson gathering combined a display of Helvetia Mining District specimens with its annual meeting, attended by more than 65 people. Presentations by mineral photographer Jeff Scovil and Smithsonian curator Jeff Post covered specimen photography and fluorescent minerals in the Smithsonian collection. The meeting also honored Richard Bostwick and Ralph Thomas with Hall of Fame recognition, shared plans for a 2021 Tucson Convention Center display, and raised funds through raffles and a specimen auction.

Triple T – A Lovely Fluorescent Rock from New York

By John H. Smith · pp. 10–13

Triple T specimens from St. Lawrence County, New York, combine red-fluorescing amphibole, orange-fluorescing tremolite, and pale-yellow-fluorescing talc. The article explains why fluorescence alone cannot reliably distinguish the red amphiboles, reviewing the name history from “tirodite” to clino-suenoite and comparing it with anthophyllite. It outlines useful identification methods, including elemental and structural analysis, and cautions that amphibole specimens may contain hazardous asbestiform particles, making appropriate handling precautions important.

A to Zektzerite – The One That Got Away

By Ed V. Gage and Randy V. Gage · pp. 13–15

Zektzerite from Washington Pass, Washington, is presented as an exceptionally rare mineral and an even rarer faceted gemstone. The authors summarize its discovery, mineral properties, fluorescence, and scarcity, then recount Randy Gage’s 2010 collecting trip, during which he found a hand-sized crystal before a serious automobile accident on the drive home. The crystal disappeared after being discarded by hospital staff. The account connects the lost specimen with the risks of collecting and the continuing search for zektzerite in the North Cascades.

Zektzerite from the Darai-Pioz Massif, Pamir-Alay Mountains, Tajikistan

By D. I. Belakovskiy · pp. 15–17

Zektzerite occurs in several pegmatite and related associations in the Darai-Pioz massif of Tajikistan, a remote, mineral-diverse region with more than 150 reported species. The article describes its associations with minerals including neptunite, sogdianite, microcline, and leucosphenite, and documents its characteristic bluish-white shortwave fluorescence. Large aggregates and replacement textures are common, while well-formed crystals are scarce. Comparisons with occurrences in Washington, Malawi, Norway, Chile, Finland, and Madagascar place the Tajikistan material in a wider context.

Every Fluoro Tells a Story

By Don Newsome · p. 17

A fluorescent calcite specimen from near Ilwaco, Washington, carries a family collecting story spanning decades. In 1967, the author and his young son searched a beach near the mouth of the Columbia River, where calcite and quartz seams show varied fluorescence. The only crystal found during the trip was picked up by the son, Joe, and later given to his father as a birthday present. The specimen remains the most valuable piece in the author’s collection for its personal history.

MineralApp: An Application to Catalog Your Mineral Collection

By Simone Conti · p. 18

MineralApp is a free, cross-platform program for recording and organizing mineral specimens. Users can store locality, dimensions, weight, collection location, value, species, chemical formulas, fluorescence and phosphorescence data, notes, photographs, and related files. The application also creates links to Mindat and RRUFF records, including locality pages when a Mindat identifier is supplied. The author explains the motivation for building the software, outlines its directory-based approach, and invites collectors to test the program and suggest improvements.