Table of Contents
- From the Editor—A Study in Pink by Howie Green 1–3
- Leucophanite from the Langesundsfjord District, Norway by Howie Green and Martijn Hendrikx 4–13
- Meliphanite by Howie Green 14–20
- Leucophanite from Mont Saint-Hilaire, Quebec, Canada by Howie Green 21–27
- From Russia with Love by Howie Green 28–33
- Leucophanite from the Ilímaussaq Alkaline Complex in South Greenland by Tom Weidner and Howie Green 34–41
- Agrellite: The (Other) Pink Fluorescent Mineral by Simone Conti 42–52
- Limerick Contest Winner by — 13
- Fluorescent Mineral Collection Auctions by — 53
From the Editor—A Study in Pink
By Howie Green · pp. 1–3
An anecdote from a 2007 flight to Norway recalls a conversation about Icelandic food and introduces the issue’s focus on leucophanite. The editor reflects on the social side of field trips and his meeting with Norwegian mineralogist Alf Olav Larsen, who helped guide collecting in the Langesundsfjord district. The issue is presented as an update on leucophanite’s history, geology, mineralogy, and luminescence, with related coverage of meliphanite and agrellite.
Leucophanite from the Langesundsfjord District, Norway
By Howie Green and Martijn Hendrikx · pp. 4–13
Leucophanite from Norway is examined through its history, geology, crystal chemistry, luminescence, and specimen associations. The article traces the mineral’s discovery in the Langesundsfjord district and describes its occurrence in nepheline-syenite pegmatites, including early magmatic and later hydrothermal generations. It summarizes proposed luminescence centers and presents specimens from local quarries, often with zircon, sodalite, calcite, or feldspar. A discussion of the characteristic orange afterglow clarifies terminology used for the effect.
Meliphanite
By Howie Green · pp. 14–20
Meliphanite, a beryllium-bearing mineral related to leucophanite, is introduced through its discovery, structure, occurrences, and luminescence. First described from the Langesundsfjord area in 1852, it commonly forms thick plates and rosette-shaped aggregates in pegmatites. Research on its emissions identifies broad ultraviolet-blue bands associated with structural defects and cerium, as well as an orange-red band likely associated with manganese. Specimen examples include material from Norway and Russia.
Leucophanite from Mont Saint-Hilaire, Quebec, Canada
By Howie Green · pp. 21–27
Leucophanite at the Poudrette quarry is presented in the geological and mineralogical context of Mont Saint-Hilaire. The article summarizes the quarry’s alkaline geology, exceptional mineral diversity, and the challenges of identifying its often tiny or varied specimens. It recounts leucophanite discoveries and features specimens associated with polylithionite, albite, sodalite, calcite, aegirine, and other minerals. A reprinted introduction by Jacques Poulin and accompanying galleries show the locality’s distinctive mineral assemblages and ultraviolet responses.
From Russia with Love
By Howie Green · pp. 28–33
Leucophanite from the Kola Peninsula and the Darai-Pioz massif is set against an overview of regional geology, mineral exploration, and rare-earth resources. The Kola section describes the Khibiny and Lovozero massifs, the history of mineral research, and the development of mining, including the Rasvumchorr deposit. Specimens from Khibiny illustrate associations with sodalite, arctite, feldspar, and lorenzenite. Material from Tajikistan is accompanied by observations on leucophanite spectra and associated fluorescent minerals.
Leucophanite from the Ilímaussaq Alkaline Complex in South Greenland
By Tom Weidner and Howie Green · pp. 34–41
Leucophanite from South Greenland’s Ilímaussaq complex is discussed in relation to the region’s rifting history, agpaitic magmatism, and exceptionally diverse mineralogy. The article explains how late-stage, sodium-, beryllium-, and fluorine-rich fluids formed leucophanite in pegmatites and fractures. It describes occurrences near Kvanefjeld, Taseq Slope, Tunulliarfik fjord, and Kangerluarsuk, including associations with sodalite, feldspar, and other rare minerals. Specimen galleries document varied crystal habits and ultraviolet responses.
Agrellite: The (Other) Pink Fluorescent Mineral
By Simone Conti · pp. 42–52
Agrellite’s pink emission and mineral associations are explored through its discovery at the Kipawa alkaline complex, luminescence, and other reported occurrences. The article discusses how emissions from cerium, rare-earth elements, and manganese contribute to its response under different ultraviolet wavelengths and to its orange afterglow. Galleries show Kipawa specimens with eudialyte, vlasovite, gittinsite, feldspar, and amphibole, as well as multicolored material from the Darai-Pioz massif associated with baratovite and uranyl-bearing minerals.
Limerick Contest Winner
p. 13
A winning limerick offers a brief comic interlude among the leucophanite specimen pages. Its Norwegian character, Knut, is portrayed as preferring music and domestic life over collecting the fluorescent mineral. The poem plays on the mineral’s name and collecting culture, with its wording amended for polite company. It is presented alongside a photograph of a collector at a Norwegian quarry, linking the joke to the issue’s field-collecting theme.
Fluorescent Mineral Collection Auctions
p. 53
An advertisement promotes quarterly auctions specializing in large fluorescent mineral collections. It previews upcoming selections from the historic collections of Richard Bostwick, identified with Franklin mineral collecting, and lifelong collectors Al and Sue Liebetrau. Readers are invited to explore the offerings by scanning a displayed code. The advertisement presents the auctions as an opportunity to encounter material from broad, historically significant collections.