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Leucophanite is only found in a handful of places around the world. To the best of our knowledge only Norway produces massive habit leucophanite with large display specimens. They are bright and beautiful, best under midwave but great shortwave UV. We rarely see pieces of any size. On one side under shortwave UV, you can see yellow fluorescing zircon.
"Leucophanite is an inosilicate mineral with the chemical formula (Na,Ca)2BeSi2(O.OH.F)7. It may contain cerium substituting in the calcium position.
It occurs in pegmatites and alkali igneous complexes as yellow, greenish or white triclinic crystals and has been found in Norway, Quebec and Russia.
It was first described from the Langesundfiord district of southern Norway in 1840. The name is from the Greek leucos for "white" and phanein for "to appear" in allusion to the common white color. "(Wikipedia)
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.
