[Rockhounds] fossils

[Axel Emmermann]

If you start with good knowledge of the locality AND a good UV-lamp (in all
wave-domains) you are indeed on the road to determination (stole that from
"The road to perdition"... I have no shame ;-)))

Most people don't have that luxury, however.

CHeers


Axel Emmermann
European Regional Vice President of the
Fluorescent Mineral Society
<http://www.uvminerals.org/>
=========================
Mineralogische Kring Antwerpen/Antwerp Mineralogical Society
<http://www.minerant.org/index.html>
Werkgroepleider/Workgroup leader: Fluorescerende mineralen/Fluorescent
minerals
Technische Realisaties/Engineering
My website:<http://users.pandora.be/axel.emmerman/home/>


> -----Oorspronkelijk bericht-----
> Van: rockhounds-bounces at lists.drizzle.com
[mailto:rockhounds-bounces at lists.drizzle.com]
> Namens Earl R. Verbeek
> Verzonden: donderdag 30 april 2009 3:50
> Aan: 'Rockhounds at drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem collectors'
> Onderwerp: RE: [Rockhounds] fossils
> 
> 
> Subject: Re: [Rockhounds] fossils
> 
> Except for very rare cases, knowing that a specimen fluoresces does not
> help me identify what minerals are in the specimen.
> 
> Kreigh
> 
> But it helps some of us a great deal.  It's like a number of other
> attributes of minerals, such as color in daylight -- for some minerals the
> color is a great aid to identification and for some it's not, but with
years
> and years of experience it can be used to increasingly great advantage.
Try
> NOT using fluorescence on Franklin minerals and see how far you get at
> identifying things.  A white fibrous mineral from there could be xonotlite
> or chlorophoenicite or wollastonite or several other things, and the first
> thing that many of us do to figure it out is reach for that UV lamp.
Other
> localities are like that too.  Even if you don't know where a specimen
came
> from, a comprehensive knowledge of mineral fluorescence is often a
powerful
> aid to identification.  If you see a pale green mineral from a pegmatite
and
> it fluoresces yellow SW, you'd better guess fluorapatite rather than
beryl.
> 
> Hmmm, maybe I should design a course around this topic -- it would be an
> enjoyable one to teach, and useful for those intending to become field
> geologists.  Gotta think about that some more....
> 
>          Cheers!    Earl
> 
> --
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