Gallery 3- Fluorescent Minerals in Stereo...
The amazing art of stereo photography of fluorescent minerals.
All photographs © Axel Emmermann

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FLUORAPATITE, Huanzala, Huanuco dept., Peru Crystals up to a few millimetres on a dark matrix. This specimen shows a strong magenta-pink fluorescence. The activator is believed to be trivalent samarium. Photo under short wave UV.

CALCITE, Rio Grande Do Sul, Brasil Dog-tooth calcite on an earthy matrix. Manganese is the activator while lead is the co-activator of this typical red fluorescence. Photo under short wave UV.

CALCITE, Tarstinkal, Pas-de-Calais, France These brown rhombic crystals show a tan fluorescence and strong greenish phosphorescence. Inclusion of organic matter probably causes the fluorescence. Photo under short wave UV.

FLUORAPATITE, Gilgit region, Pakistan Fluorapatite from the Gilgit region, Pakistan. Close-up of a water-clear crystal. The fluorescence is clearly strongest in the top face of the crystal. Photo under short wave UV.

PHLOGOPITE, Badakhshan, Afghanistan Strong yellow fluorescent crystal on a matrix of what seems to be albite. Crusts and smaller crystals of phlogopite also fluoresce. The yellow fluorescence of phlogopite is not yet explained. The red fluorescence of albite has been attributed with a high degree of probability to trivalent iron. It is fairly well possible that the same activator causes the yellow fluorescence of phlogopite. Photo under short wave UV.

ARAGONITE, Bocchegiano, Tuscany, Italy Under short wave UV, these strontio-aragonite crystals fluoresce pale yellow with a pink tint. Presumably the same mechanism as for the red fluorescence under LW is present here. Photo under 254 nm short wave UV.

OPAL (variety: Hyalite), Chihuahua, Mexico Hyalite opal and Quartz have been deposited in this small geode. Both minerals incorporated some uranyl during their formation, which explains the bright green fluorescence. Photo was taken under SW-UV

GYPSUM, Saragossa, Spain Two freestanding water-clear crystals on a matrix of massive Gypsum, riddled with smaller crystals. The largest crystal is 38 mm high. Both crystals have the shape of a bishop's hat that is so typical of Gypsum. This specimen fluoresces a very strong white under both short wave and long wave UV but strongest under short wave. The fluorescence shown on the photo is that under short wave UV. Notice that the light of the fluorescing matrix is reflected internally in the crystals and lights up the curved rim of the top faces. The cause of the fluorescence has not been examined. It is however known that the presence of rare earth elements induces a strong white fluorescence in a number of minerals.