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When I was a kid, I knew two things for certain; someday, I wanted a saltwater aquarium, and a UV mineral display.
Over the last few months, I have finally been building two mineral display setups: one medium-wave unit and one shortwave unit. The MW unit (the one on the right) is stock and has 90 watts of 312 nm light and measures 30 × 12 × 12 inches (76 × 30 × 30 cm).
The SW display (one on the left) is a custom build I did. It has 240 watts (76 radiant watts) of 254 nm light and measures 39 × 21 × 21 inches (99 × 53 × 53 cm). I call it “The Stone Burner” — gold star to anyone who gets the literature reference. And yes, the name is appropriate. You do not want to expose uncovered skin to that display for too long, or you will end up with a nasty sunburn. The UV blocking acrylic front panels arived after these photos but now have been installed so I don't have to chase the fur babies out when I turn them on. Here is information on my build including part list. Here is a very good article on the subject by The Fluorescent Mineral Society. Also, here is a similar article by Mark Cole of The Miner Shop. Note, the room lights are on, and only half of the SW lights are turned on in this photo. Yep, it is bright.
Below are some more photographs and video of the minerals.
Special thanks to: Mike Cole of The Minershop, Rhett Peterson of Engenious Designs, John Dean of the FS Hunter Facebook group, and all the members of the Fluorescent Minerals Facebook group for their help and answering my endless questions.
HUGE thanks to Cecilia Doyle aka "The Love Goddess" for her support and ignoring all those charges to the bank account. :)
Displays under white light.
SW (254nm) aka Stone Burner on left.
MW (312nm) on the right
Displays with UV turned on.
Closeup under white light.
Closeup under SW UV (254nm).
White light.
SW UV (254nm)
Top Row
"Watermelon Rock" top left. Pale-yellow calcite (red to pink) is sandwiched between layers of gray chalcedony (green). Crawford, Nebraska, USA.
Calcite (red), Sphalerite (black), and Willemite (green) top right. Buckwheat Pile, Franklin, New Jersey, USA.
Bottom Row
Smithsonite (pink) and Sphalerite (blue/black) bottom left. Buena Tierra Mine, Chihuahua, Mexico.
Quartz (Petroleum) aka "Firefly" quartz bottom center. Unknown locality.
Quartz (Agate) banded green - bottom center. Chihuahua, Mexico
Calcite (red) & Willemite (green) - bottom right. Buckwheat Pile, Franklin, New Jersey, USA.
Calcite (red), Willemite (green), and Franklinite (black) from Franklin, New Jersey, USA under white light.
SW UV (254nm)
White Light
SW UV (254nm)
Left - Calcite, Willemite, and Franklinite from Franklin, New Jersey, USA
Center - Calcite (Mariposa/Monarch), Level 17 el Potosí Mine, Chihuahua, Mexico
Right - Apatite (yellow), Skardu, Pakistan. Note this is one of my FAVORITE specimens. Here is a page with more photos and information regarding it.
Willemite, Calcite, and Franklinite from Franklin, New Jersey, USA under white light.
Calcite, Willemite, and Franklinite from Franklin, New Jersey, USA under SW UV.
Video of willemite phosphorescence
My first UV light when I was say 11 so 1979 or 1980, a Spectroline NH-4 longwave (5 watts).
Terlingua-type calcite from Challenger Cave Mexico showing long phosphorescence after SW UV light turned off.
Now for the "I Spy" folks...Yes that is:
A National Park Service hat and jacket. I worked as a Park Ranger / Cave guide at Mammoth Cave National Park from 1987 to 1991.
A copy of "Rock and Minerals" published 1960....I started young.
Antique geology books under the MW display including
"A Text Book of Geology" by James Dana 1864
"The Geology of Kentucky" by Arthur Miller 1919 (note he autographed it)
My Brunton Compass
The US Army knife my grandfathered carried in WWII.
A NQ core bit....I've logged A LOT of NQ core over the years.
A 2020 Woodford Reserve Ky Derby bourbon bottle with the wrong date on it as the Derby was postponed in 2020 because of Covid.
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