Simone Conti's Photo Gallery

LUA-1YXPectolite NaCa₂Si₃O₈(OH) , Calcite CaCO₃

Seiser Alm, South Tyrol, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy

Dimensions: 11 cm x 4 cm x 4 cm
Weight: 177.8 g

Acicular pectolite crystals filling a fracture in matrix. Under longwave UV light the pectolite fluoresce yellowish white, but the surprise comes under midwave UV: a rim of fluorescent red calcite, surrounding the pectolite.

Midwave fluorescence.

J0Q-VMJCelestine SrSO₄

Lviv Oblast, Ukraine

Dimensions: 12 cm x 10 cm x 9 cm

A fracture in matrix filled with large and small celestine crystals: white in daylight, fluorescent white under UV light with greenish afterglow.
A new find in 2022.

Longwave fluorescence.

Mindat.org Photo of the Day - 13th Apr 2024

W52-324Celestine SrSO₄

Machów Mine, Tarnobrzeg, Subcarpathian Voivodeship, Poland

Dimensions: 11 cm x 7 cm x 6 cm
Weight: 512.2 g

Cluster of clear celestine crystals, with a little yellow sulphur at the base. The celestine fluoresces the typical white under UV light, with greenish afterglow.

Longwave fluorescence.

5T0-ERGHalite NaCl

Lubin, Lubin County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, Poland

Dimensions: 7.5 cm x 7 cm x 4 cm
Weight: 88.3 g

A very aesthetic cluster of halite crystals. Clear and translucent in daylight, it shows the brightest orange fluorescence under shortwave UV light.
From the “Rudna Mine”.

Shortwave fluorescence.

EL8-AHGPocillopora damicornis

Kauai Island, Kauai County, Hawaii, USA

Dimensions: 7 cm x 5.5 cm x 5 cm
Weight: 54.2 g

Not properly a mineral, I guess: the calcareous remains of a Pocillopora Damicornis coral, from the North Shore of Kauai Island, Hawaii. White in daylight, with a bluish white fluorescence under longwave UV light.

Longwave fluorescence.

WYX-6W7Calcite CaCO₃ , Aragonite CaCO₃

Laie Concrete Quarry, Lᾱ'ie, Koolau Range, Oahu Island, Honolulu County, Hawaii, USA

Dimensions: 17 cm x 9 cm x 7 cm
Weight: 956 g

A nice large plate of calcite/aragonite crystals, fluorescent blue/white under UV light with the greenish phosphorescence typical of organic activators. Not extremely remarkable, if not for the locality: the Laie Concrete Quarry on Oahu Island, Hawaii! Not many minerals come from Hawaii, even fewer are fluorescent.

Longwave fluorescence.

RN8-YAWPriceite Ca₂B₅O₇(OH)₅·H₂O

Twenty Mule Team Canyon, Furnace Creek Mining District, Inyo County, California, USA

Dimensions: 6 cm x 6 cm x 4 cm
Weight: 83.5 g

Not the most attractive specimen, but quite interesting: a massive sample of priceite, a not particularly common borate mineral. It shows some blue/white fluorescence under longwave UV light.
This specimen was originally labeled as bakerite, a borosilicate, but Raman analysis corrected the ID to priceite.
Contrary to what the name may suggest, not a pricey one.

Longwave fluorescence.

7DJ-XTNTopaz Al₂(SiO₄)(F,OH)₂

Zapot Pegmatite, Gillis Range, Fitting Mining District, Mineral County, Nevada, USA

Dimensions: 4 cm x 3 cm x 2 cm
Weight: 49 g

A broken piece of a topaz crystal, bluish in daylight, with a surprisingly bright yellow fluorescence under longwave UV light.

Longwave fluorescence.

TER-NMNScheelite Ca(WO₄)

Chenzhou, Hunan, China

Dimensions: 2.0 cm x 1.5 cm x 1.5 cm
Weight: 9.38 g

Little cluster of well formed scheelite crystals. Dark colored in daylight, they fluoresce the typical bright blue under shortwave UV light and a quite nice orange/red under midwave UV light (a bit overexposed in the photo...). The blue shortwave fluorescence is intrinsic in scheelite, due to the tungstate group (WO4--), while the orange/red fluorescence under midwave is most likely due to REE impurities activators.

Midwave fluorescence.

A5N-31CWillemite Zn₂SiO₄ , Calcite CaCO₃ , Dioptase CuSiO₃·H₂O

Mindouli District, Pool Department, Republic of the Congo

Dimensions: 9 cm x 7 cm x 4 cm
Weight: 178.04 g

A streak of light green willemite crystal on a calcite matrix with a few, deep green, gemmy dioptase crystals as special guests. The willemite crystals are quite small, between 1 and 2 mm, but are all well formed, translucent, light green in color and there are scores of them! The nicest dioptase crystal is in the bottom left corner, perfectly formed, about 1 cm tall. More are on the back, but quite dirty. Most interesting is the fluorescence under UV light. Under shortwave, the willemite fluoresces green, while the calcite fluoresces red, for a very nice bight contrast. Under midwave, the willemite turns yellow, and the calcite dims quite a bit. Finally, under longwave UV, the willemite fluoresces bright yellow, with yellow afterglow, but not much from the calcite.

The label mentions as locality "Gotala near Mindouli".
New material from late 2023.

Shortwave fluorescence.