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Generalfluorescence in calcite

15th Feb 2010 20:55 UTCPaul L. Boyer

I obtained a sample of calcite and celestine from the Mojina Mine (http://www.mindat.org/loc-16461.html) which glows green under SW UV light. Is the cause of this known? I know that the uranyl ion can cause a yellow-green glow, and wish to know if that is the case here. Thanks.

16th Feb 2010 15:08 UTCHenry Barwood

Might not be Uranyl. It might be fluid inclusions of petroleum. I encountered some quartz crystals years ago that had a distinct, bright green fluorescence that turned out to be from droplets of petroleum in negative crystals in the quartz.

24th Feb 2010 04:44 UTCBill Baker Barr

Paul,

You obtained that piece from me. I'm fairly sure that your guess about uranyl is correct; I didn't mention uranium in the description because a while ago eBay pulled one of my similar auctions, apparently because somebody complained or some idiot at eBay noticed it and assumed it was highly radioactive and illegal to ship. I griped until I was blue in the face and eventually got someone at eBay to admit I was right, but they still left my listings downrated for 90 days because I had put a "forbidden" item up for sale. Meanwhile people sell fluorescent glass items with URANIUM in all caps in the listing titles and nothing happens...

I think uranyl-bearing water flows through the crystallizing, sort-of-stalactitic cacite and gets concentrated at the tips of the branches, where it can't go any farther. Quite a few Mexican localities have uranyl-doped fluorescents, most notably the classic adamites at the Ojuela Mine, my favorite locality; I hope to travel there some day, get down on my hands and knees, kiss the ground and say "Gracias."

Hey, Henry, where were those quartz crystals from?

Bill

24th Feb 2010 19:40 UTCReiner Mielke Expert

Interesting! Most petroleum or organic compounds fluoresce off white, or yellowish. Do you have a reference to this type of fluorescence that I could have?

25th Feb 2010 00:56 UTCAdam Kelly

I recently saw a quartz crystal with petroleum inclusions for sale on e-bay.

It was from South Africa I belive.

AK

26th Feb 2010 12:11 UTCPaul L. Boyer

Thanks Bill for the information! It is a very nice mineral and the presence of a trace of uranium does not bother me. Even a uranium-containing sample does not bug me, although I treat it with the respect it deserves. I was curious. Interesting about the quartz as well....

25th Apr 2010 01:14 UTCTimothy Zimbelman

Hey, I have some massive quartz that flouresces apple green under short-wave. It was found in the Pryor mtns. of south-central montana. The calcite from the same area flouresces lime green, a pale yellow or orange.

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