Calcite, Willemite - Sterling Hill Mine, New Jersey

Fluorescent minerals can be fascinating to those who discover these hidden treasures and they often raise various questions. Here are some common questions related to fluorescent minerals.

Fluorite often times has bright fluorescence under ultraviolet light, revealing bright colors that range from purples and blues to brilliant greens and pinks. Anyone with a fluorescent mineral collection probably has a piece of fluorescent blue fluorite, the most common fluorescent color for this mineral.

The sun was slowly setting so we made dinner and relaxed a while (amazing how slowly the sun sets when you're waiting for it). Once it got dark collected started in earnest. The first thing you notice is the bright blue hydrozincite everywhere on red calcite. All of the small rocks glow. We proceeded to check out the large boulders laying around on the surface and quickly determined that dozens of prior collectors had done the same. That's why they're still lying around.