Collecting Fluorescent Minerals - The Basics, Where to Find Them, and How to Collect Them
Rock collecting is a pretty easy hobby to get into - buy a hammer, find a pile of rocks, and you're rock collecting.
Ultraviolation 2017 Show Report
As a short digression to provide background, Ultraviolation is a unique rock and mineral show in that only fluorescent minerals are sold.
The Fluorescent Minerals of Greenland
The Ilímaussaq complex is one of the world's most fascinating igneous complexes with an abundance of rare elements.
What is Tenebrescence? (All about Hackmanite - Hint: it's not fluorescence)
Minerals which are capable of this reversible color change by exposure to UV (or other energy sources), without any change in their essential composition, are said to be tenebrescent
2017 FMS Midwest Chapter Annual Meeting
The Midwest Chapter of the Fluorescent Mineral Society (FMS) held its first annual meeting at the Ben E. Clement Mineral Museum in Marion, Kentucky, on Saturday, September 16th.
Photographing Esperite (and other "hard rocks")
I have a nickname for esperite pieces – I call them “hard rocks”, very hard to photograph. Our rocks “glow” like a lightbulb.
Catching the Afterglow - Taking Pictures of Phosphorescent Minerals
Many minerals exhibit an “afterglow” when the UV light is turned off. This glow can last for milliseconds or hours depending on the mineral.
Tenebrescence Experiments, Theories, Questions, and even some Facts
Recently I posted a question about Afghan sodalite (hackmanite) after reviewing the MinRec article about Sar-E-Sang. Someone reminded me that there was a large discussion on this topic last year. I dug out that discussion and copied it here to the blog. This is one reason we created Nature's Rainbows - to capture these excellent discussions.
Greenland Sodalite Hackmanite - Quick Change Artist, Tenebrescent Champion
Tenebrescence of Greenland sodalite is amazing. This is a piece of a deeply tenebrescent sodalite.
Video of Tenebrescent Sodalite (Hackmanite) and Tugtupite
Tenebrescence is when minerals change color when exposed to sunlight, also known as reversible photochromism.