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Red sodalite is named for the color it takes on when exposed to sunlight; it is nicely tenebrescent under longwave UV. Under shortwave UV the color deepens, in seconds, to almost black in some areas. This is probably the most dramatic example of tenebrescence in sodalite from anywhere. This process is easily reversed in seconds using a bright white light, and can be repeated over and over. Both sides of this fine specimen exhibit this deep purple tenebrescence. The bluish areas are likely analcime.
Longwave fluorescence is a bright orange and the shortwave fluorescence shifts to a beautiful rusty orange (caused by the intense tenebrescence). These pieces are also nicely phosphorescent, which is very unusual for your typical Greenland sodalite.
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.
