Table of Contents
- From the Editor: Milk, Honey and Tugtupite by Howie Green 1–3
- The FMS at TGMS, 1996 and 2022 by Alan J. Cherepon 4–7
- Presentations at the FMS 50th Anniversary Meeting by Justin Bank and Howie Green 8–9
- Longwave Varieties by Jim Herbold 10
- Worldwide Shortwave UV Minerals by Glenn Waychunas 11
- An Automated Fluorescent Mineral Display by Don Newsome 11
- Fluorescent Minerals of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Tajikistan by Mike Crawford 12
- Worldwide Minerals, Full Wave (SW + MW + LW) by Steve Scott 12
- Esperite—Specimens from the Franklin Mine, Franklin, New Jersey by George V. Polman 13
- Fluorescent Minerals from Sweden by Doug Bank 13
- Shortwave Fluorescent Minerals by Robert Fendrich 14
- Worldwide Longwave Fluorescent Minerals by Phil Neuhoff 14
- Small Worldwide Specimens by Jan Wittenberg 15
- Fluorescence Zoning in Apatite by John Rakovan 15
- Red! by Walt Donovan 15
- Self-Collected Fluorescent Minerals by Brian Walko 16
- Fluorescent Minerals of the Helvetia Mining District, Arizona by Daniel Moore 16
- The FMS Hosts Its Largest Meeting Ever! by C. Lee McIlvaine IV 17–19
- 2022 FMS Facebook Chapter Meetup in Tucson by Philip S. Neuhoff and Diane Rose 20
From the Editor: Milk, Honey and Tugtupite
By Howie Green · pp. 1–3
The FMS’s 50th-anniversary celebration at Tucson became a story of both pandemic caution and unexpected participation. Although editor Howie Green did not attend, he submitted photographs of selected Greenland specimens for TGMS publicity, including a tugtupite-bearing specimen from the Ilímaussaq complex. The column reflects on presenting glowing specimens to both fluorescence enthusiasts and conventional mineral collectors, and previews further coverage of the anniversary displays.
The FMS at TGMS, 1996 and 2022
By Alan J. Cherepon · pp. 4–7
The Fluorescent Mineral Society’s Tucson Gem and Mineral Show displays in 1996 and 2022 are compared, from the original “Show That Glows” in the Bat Cave to the 50th-anniversary pavilion. The account covers preparations, exhibit layouts, lighting advances, volunteers, and the 2022 cases and visitor experience. It also recounts satellite-show visits and a collecting trip to scheelite prospects near Oracle, Arizona, where red calcite and bluish-white scheelite were collected.
Presentations at the FMS 50th Anniversary Meeting
By Justin Bank and Howie Green · pp. 8–9
The 50th-anniversary symposium brought together 23 presentations, including talks on the Ilímaussaq alkaline complex, Franklin and Sterling Hill, and the causes of luminescence. Speakers also addressed apatite’s recognition as a distinct mineral, its Sauberg Mine type locality, and fluorescence zoning and spectroscopy. The overview highlights both descriptive and scientific contributions, from field and mining histories to elemental activators, crystal environments, and mechanisms of luminescence.
Longwave Varieties
By Jim Herbold · p. 10
A longwave-focused case combines specimens from the collections of Jim Nelson and Mark Isaacs, including pieces originating with Raytech founder Harry Wain. The display emphasizes both specimen provenance and bright longwave response, and received the Tucson show’s Best Overall Display Award. Featured pieces include the “Peaches and Cream” specimen, wispy esperite, and a large lemon opal, illustrating the range and visual impact of longwave-responsive material.
Worldwide Shortwave UV Minerals
By Glenn Waychunas · p. 11
This case presents selected shortwave-responsive specimens from around the world, with several notable examples from Franklin, New Jersey. A large specimen combines fibrous wollastonite, margarosanite, and minehillite, while another shows yellow-orange zoned fluorescence in wollastonite. The display also includes radiating willemite crystals with calcite from Zambia and topaz on feldspar from Baltistan, Pakistan, highlighting varied mineral associations, crystal forms, and localities.
An Automated Fluorescent Mineral Display
By Don Newsome · p. 11
An automated exhibit demonstrates how a mineral display can change over time rather than remain static. Its programmed sequence moves from white light through longwave, shortwave, and combined ultraviolet illumination, then turns off the ultraviolet to reveal phosphorescence before returning gradually to white light. Audio accompanies each stage to explain the lighting and viewing conditions, helping visitors compare how specimens respond under different illumination.
Fluorescent Minerals of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Tajikistan
By Mike Crawford · p. 12
A display introduces specimens from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan, regions the exhibitor felt were underrepresented in mineral displays. One featured association contains marialite, sodalite, calcite, and gonnardite from the Sar-e-Sang area of Afghanistan. The account suggests that Sar-e-Sang could prove to be an important collecting area for fluorescent specimens, comparing its potential with established hubs such as Greenland, Långban, and Long Lake in Canada.
Worldwide Minerals, Full Wave (SW + MW + LW)
By Steve Scott · p. 12
This worldwide display uses shortwave, midwave, and longwave illumination to present specimens selected for their visual qualities and geographic range. Featured pieces include a calcite-and-scheelite specimen from the Opher Hill mine in Utah, a calcite and zincite “fish tail” with willemite from Sterling Hill, New Jersey, and gem tugtupite from Kvanefjeld in Greenland’s Ilímaussaq complex. The examples show how multiple wavelengths reveal different specimen characteristics.
Esperite—Specimens from the Franklin Mine, Franklin, New Jersey
By George V. Polman · p. 13
A case of esperite specimens from the Franklin Mine presents selected pieces gathered through more than 40 years of collecting. The display was intended to show newer collectors what sustained attention to a favored mineral can yield, and was originally planned as part of a series that would also feature margarosanite and sphalerite. The specimens highlight a mineral especially valued by long-time Franklin collectors and demonstrate the variety available from this classic New Jersey locality.
Fluorescent Minerals from Sweden
By Doug Bank · p. 13
Most specimens in this Swedish display were self-collected from the dumps at Långban, Jakobsberg, Hasselhöjden, and Harstigen. Standouts include a large rhodonite-willemite-calcite specimen from Garpenberg and a margarosanite-calcite-svabite specimen from Jakobsberg. Under shortwave illumination, the Jakobsberg piece shows multiple colors; at 278-nanometer excitation, its margarosanite glows pink and svabite orange while calcite becomes dark, demonstrating how wavelength can alter the visible response.
Shortwave Fluorescent Minerals
By Robert Fendrich · p. 14
A shortwave display brings together specimens chosen for striking color and visual contrast. Favorites include a calcite-willemite specimen from Sterling Hill, four-color esperite, four-color hardystonite from Franklin, and radiating willemite with calcite from Zambia. The exhibitor’s especially prized johnbaumite with calcite was collected at the Jakobsberg mine dump in Sweden, from a boulder found during a 2014 collecting trip; the specimen’s unusual collecting story is part of its appeal.
Worldwide Longwave Fluorescent Minerals
By Phil Neuhoff · p. 14
This case selects longwave-responsive specimens from a relatively small collection to add variety to the show’s displays. The group includes material from Idaho and a willemite specimen from Franklin, New Jersey, that fluoresces in daylight. A bright manganocalcite is another highlight. The exhibitor chose longwave examples in part because their filters would not solarize, and the specimens demonstrate the range of material available for a display centered on this illumination.
Small Worldwide Specimens
By Jan Wittenberg · p. 15
A compact-specimen display brings together minerals from a range of worldwide localities. The exhibitor’s preference for smaller pieces makes it possible to show many examples in one case, emphasizing variety over the presentation of a few large specimens. The entry offers a brief account of the display’s organizing principle: a collection of small-scale specimens can provide viewers with a broad survey of mineral responses and localities within limited exhibit space.
Fluorescence Zoning in Apatite
By John Rakovan · p. 15
Apatite specimens demonstrate several kinds of fluorescence zoning, with especially clear examples from Panasqueira. Individual crystals show concentric, sectoral, and intrasectoral patterns, making it possible to compare multiple zoning geometries in one mineral. The display focuses on how fluorescence can reveal internal variation within crystals and uses apatite as a practical example of a mineral whose zones can be visually distinguished under suitable illumination.
Red!
By Walt Donovan · p. 15
The “Red!” case assembles strongly fluorescent specimens, led by a ruby from the Mogok Stone Tract in Myanmar that won the David P. Wilber award for finest overall mineral specimen at the show. The ruby is accompanied by fluorite from China and Illinois, manganoan calcite from the Fengjiashan Mine, and calcite from Tennessee’s Elmwood Mine. Together, the specimens emphasize vivid color, notable localities, and the range of minerals represented in the display.
Self-Collected Fluorescent Minerals
By Brian Walko · p. 16
A self-collected-only case reflects the exhibitor’s preference to find specimens in the field rather than acquire them through purchase or trade. Its highlighted pieces include fluorite from Blanchard, autunite, hyalite opal, chalcedony, and sphalerite. The account also notes the role of portable ultraviolet lights in making collecting under different wavelengths more accessible, connecting personal field collecting with the practical tools used to evaluate specimens.
Fluorescent Minerals of the Helvetia Mining District, Arizona
By Daniel Moore · p. 16
This regional case focuses on the Helvetia mining district in Arizona, presenting the range of colors and patterns found in its specimens. Highlights include calcite-coated pieces with layered orange and white crystalline patterns, as well as specimens combining calcite, travertine, and hyalite. The latter also illustrate geological history preserved in the material. The display narrowed an initially broader southern Arizona theme to give the Helvetia locality a focused presentation.
The FMS Hosts Its Largest Meeting Ever!
By C. Lee McIlvaine IV · pp. 17–19
The FMS’s 2022 annual meeting in Tucson drew more than 100 people through in-person and Zoom attendance, a record for an FMS event. The account covers meeting logistics, anniversary celebrations, Hall of Fame inductions for Bob Jones and Don Newsome, exhibitor recognition, and a live auction that raised a record $1,725. It also recounts the author’s earlier Tucson experiences and the changes in the show and meeting venues over 26 years.
2022 FMS Facebook Chapter Meetup in Tucson
By Philip S. Neuhoff and Diane Rose · p. 20
FMS Facebook Chapter members continued their Tucson meetup tradition at the Miner’s Coop show in Marana, choosing a less crowded setting than the group’s usual Kino-area gathering. Around a dozen members met for introductions, refreshments, trading, gifting, and sales of fluorescent specimens. A makeshift dark area enabled participants to view specimens under ultraviolet light, and the gathering offered members a chance to meet in person after interacting through the online chapter.