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Bright, multicolored specimen that is very phosphorescent. Nicely tenebrescent sodalite (hackmanite) fluoresces bright orange under longwave.
Calcite is very bright red under midwave, dimmer under shortwave. Phlogopite is a butterscotch yellow under shortwave. Diopside is bluish-white. The dim yellow brown under shortwave is possibly richterite.
We prefer displaying this specimen under fullwave (FW) meaning all wavelengths: shortwave, longwave and midwave - as that makes each corresponding mineral pop, but they are respectable under any wavelength.
These pieces are fresh mine-run material. They are not acid washed like most of the specimens found on the market. The sellers in Pakistan use acid to eat away the calcite, revealing crystals embedded in the matrix. This results in an artificial appearance and often eats away at other minerals.
They were nicknamed "Yooperlites" which is derived from the name “yooper”. A yooper is a nickname for the Upper Peninsula natives and these fluorescent stones quickly gained fame. After data was published on these fluorescent stones, it was discovered that sodalite is the actual true mineral that is fluorescing orange.
365nm UV light is often called "blacklight". Before the advent of longwave UV LEDs, blacklight fluorescent tubes, (the kinds used in hippie days to light up psychedelic posters) were the standard longwave UV light for our hobby. They were not very powerful but they did light a large area.
Enter 365nm UV LEDs
First, an animation showing the difference between the UV flashlight we recommend (365nm filtered UV flashlight) versus unfiltered 395nm UV flashlights we see many folks carrying around at shows. So. much. visible purple light. We selected a bunch of rocks as a demonstration. Took pictures of them under his flashlight without the filter and then with the filter.
