Table of Contents
- From the Editor—Boo! by Howie Green 1–4
- Santa Eulalia Smithsonite by John Rofrano 4–6
- Yellow Fluorescing Chalcedony from Wisconsin—A New Location? by Mike Crawford 7–10
- Constructing the Visual World by Robert Fendrich 10–12
- FMS Southwest Chapter Field Trip Report—The Nelly James Mine by Bruce Bannon 13–14
From the Editor—Boo!
By Howie Green · pp. 1–4
Pareidolia and mimetoliths—rocks that appear to show recognizable faces, animals, or objects—are examined through psychology, folklore, and the Fluorescent Mineral Society’s Halloween photo contest. The article considers how pattern recognition and anxiety shape beliefs, relates vampire legends to symptoms of rabies, and introduces the uncanny valley as a way to think about eerie perceptions. Contest specimens include fluorescent rocks from several localities, presented as examples of how viewers find meaning in ambiguous forms.
Santa Eulalia Smithsonite
By John Rofrano · pp. 4–6
Smithsonite from the Buena Tierra mine in Mexico’s Santa Eulalia district occurs in several forms, each with distinctive daylight appearance and ultraviolet response. The article compares classic botryoidal specimens, porous “dry bone” material, blue-period pieces, and small crystals in limonite, noting their varied short-, mid-, and longwave colors. It also reviews smithsonite’s composition and color-causing substitutions, possible activators of its fluorescence, and the uncertain relationship between material from Buena Tierra and the nearby Potosi mine.
Yellow Fluorescing Chalcedony from Wisconsin—A New Location?
By Mike Crawford · pp. 7–10
Yellow-fluorescing chalcedony collected on the Lake Michigan shore in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, is compared with fluorescent quartz from La Sassa, Italy, and opal from California’s Manhattan (later McLaughlin) Mine. Spectral measurements show similarities between the Wisconsin and La Sassa samples and contrast them with the hydrocarbon-activated California material. The Wisconsin source remains unknown; possible origins include glacial transport from farther north, hydrothermal activity, or silica precipitation in carbonate rocks. Uranyl ions and rare-earth elements are proposed as likely activators.
Constructing the Visual World
By Robert Fendrich · pp. 10–12
Human vision constructs a coherent, apparently stable world from limited and changing retinal input. The article explains the fovea’s narrow area of sharp vision, rapid eye movements and saccadic suppression, and the integration of visual information across space and time. It also considers how neural processing and higher-level expectations influence perception, using visual illusions, ambiguous images, dreams, and Charles Bonnet syndrome as examples. The discussion closes with a speculative explanation for reports of faint colored phosphorescence.
FMS Southwest Chapter Field Trip Report—The Nelly James Mine
By Bruce Bannon · pp. 13–14
A Southwest Chapter field trip brought members to the Nelly James Mine in Arizona’s Huachuca Mountains to collect fluorescent willemite, calcite, sphalerite, and smithsonite. The report recounts the steep three-mile hike to the mine, its history as the Holenstein Mine, and the challenges of carrying equipment and specimens along a narrow trail. Members shared ultraviolet lights, worked together at the site, and divided the collecting finds before returning safely to the trailhead.