[Rockhounds] ID help

Tue Jun 23 15:09:24 PDT 2009

Well, I'll be keelhauled, eaten by the kraken and other nautical
nonsense....
Good old chromium... makes sense, doesn't it?
Larry said it's green, so definitely a possible. I never saw a red
fluorescing topaz or heard of one. It goes to show that you never can tell
;-)))

Some of the flat tops could be parallel to the basal plane, yes...

It's like the red fluorescence of chromium replacing Al3+ in kyanite... You
hear of it but you seldom see one ;-)))

Cheers
AXEL

> -----Oorspronkelijk bericht-----
> Van: rockhounds-bounces at lists.drizzle.com
[mailto:rockhounds-bounces at lists.drizzle.com]
> Namens Earl R. Verbeek
> Verzonden: dinsdag 23 juni 2009 23:34
> Aan: 'Rockhounds at drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem collectors'
> Onderwerp: RE: [Rockhounds] ID help
> 
> Hi Axel,
> 
> Trivalent chromium substituting for aluminum can (and does) cause red
> fluorescence in topaz.  I don't have the paper handy, but I remember one
> locality being given as Ghundao Hill (Afghanistan?).  As with corundum, a
> quantity of chromium sufficient to cause red fluorescence will not
> necessarily result in noticeable coloration of the mineral.  But I too
would
> like to know which UV wavelength causes the red fluorescence.
> 
>            cheers-   Earl
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: rockhounds-bounces at lists.drizzle.com
> [mailto:rockhounds-bounces at lists.drizzle.com] On Behalf Of Axel Emmermann
> Sent: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 4:07 PM
> To: 'Rockhounds at drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem collectors'
> Subject: RE: [Rockhounds] ID help
> 
> Could you state the UV-band? LW, SW, medium wave or blue light.... That
> really matters ;-)))
> 
> Is that an "intense" fluorescence or rather weak or medium strong?
> Would you describe the red as "cherry" or more a "velvety" red?
> Any "purple" in it or just plain red?
> 
> I think the topaz is out.... That would fluoresce yellow or whitish.
> Diopside too, that would more likely fluoresce blue.
> Ziosite is not likely to fluoresce... Except thulite, the manganoan
zoistite
> which fluoresces orange to pink.
> Amblygonite??? Haven't heard of any fluorescence...
> 
> Corundum??? That is certainly a good candidate! The diamond-shaped
> cross-section is indicative of that....
> 
> Don't discard the feldspars yet... but try a blue laser. If they fluoresce
> REALLY hard in a blue laser beam then it is most likely corundum. A
spectrum
> would tell....
> 
> I tried the crystals that you sent me... even the blue "sapphire"
fluoresces
> in blue laser light!
> If you stop and think about how the blue color is caused by iron... Iron
> quenches fluorescence in many minerals. Still in blue laser light... I'll
> try to make a photo, one of these days ;-)))))
> 
> OK, lI'll bet it's corundum.
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Axel
> 
> 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.telenet.be/axel.emmerman/FiatLux/Index.php
> 
> 
> 
> > -----Oorspronkelijk bericht-----
> > Van: rockhounds-bounces at lists.drizzle.com
> [mailto:rockhounds-bounces at lists.drizzle.com]
> > Namens Lawrence Rush
> > Verzonden: dinsdag 23 juni 2009 21:01
> > Aan: Rockhounds at drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem collectors
> > Onderwerp: Re: [Rockhounds] ID help
> >
> > Aha! They fluoresce a deep dark red! But, too hard for
> > feldspar.......getting any closer, Axel?
> >
> > Larry
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Axel Emmermann" <axel.emmermann at pandora.be>
> > To: "'Rockhounds at drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem
collectors'"
> > <rockhounds at lists.drizzle.com>
> > Sent: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 2:51 PM
> > Subject: RE: [Rockhounds] ID help
> >
> >
> > > Larry,
> > >
> > > Topaz would have a distinct cleavage.
> > > It breaks very easily in a plane that is perpendicular to the C-axis.
> > > If you'd drop one of those hey would easily shatter and break at the
> basal
> > > plane.
> > > I don't see that in you photos.
> > > If I were to bet... some feldspar? Orthoclase? Microcline?
> > > But zoisite and amblygonite are also possible...
> > >
> > > Any fluorescence?
> > > Come on, Larry... make it shine ;-)))
> > >
> > > Cheers
> > >
> > > Axel
> > >
> > >
> > > 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.telenet.be/axel.emmerman/FiatLux/Index.php
> > >
> > >
> > >> -----Oorspronkelijk bericht-----
> > >> Van: rockhounds-bounces at lists.drizzle.com
> > > [mailto:rockhounds-bounces at lists.drizzle.com]
> > >> Namens Lawrence Rush
> > >> Verzonden: dinsdag 23 juni 2009 18:51
> > >> Aan: rockhounds at lists.drizzle.com
> > >> Onderwerp: [Rockhounds] ID help
> > >>
> > >> I just got a box of minerals from Pakistan which contained 2 pieces
of
> an
> > > unidentified
> > >> material. These are unfamiliar to me, and I need some help.
> > >>
> > >> The color is a sea green, translucent. The crystals are well formed,
> > > appear to be perhaps
> > >> Tetragonal or Orthorhombic. They have 4 distinct sides,
diamond-shaped
> in
> > > cross section,
> > >> with  sharp low angle edges on 2 sides. The hardness is greater than
6.
> > > The matrix is quartz,
> > >> evidently a pegmatite mineral. No locality, but all of the others
from
> > > this supplier were from
> > >> Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Waziristan.
> > >>
> > >> I suspect they are Topaz, but the shape and color have me questioning
> > > this.
> > >>
> > >> I posted photos on http://www.connroxminerals.com/temp.html
> > >>
> > >> Any thoughts?
> > >>
> > >> Thanks...Larry
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> "Noel Coward thought work was more fun than play,  but he never, ever
> > > worked in the mines"
> > >>
> > >> --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts ---
> > >> multipart/alternative
> > >>   text/plain (text body -- kept)
> > >>   text/html
> > >> ---
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