fluorescence!

[Arkteia]

No pics because I need my office computer (technical issues). But I played with fluorescent pens and my stones all evening long. My alex fluoresced, and my ruby fluoresced like a madman. Same for Mahenge spinel. The small Tanzanian one had some fluorescence, too but mild.

Garnets do not fluoresce as I found out. Nor do tourmalines althoug they become brighter.

Another ruby that fluoresced madly was a very small one, in my pin.

Synthetic spinel ("alex"), sadly, fluoresced almost like the real one.

And one other interesting effect, an answer to which I did not find.

I have two stones, one of them identified as synthetic sapphire (curved growth lines, lavender color changing to blue in daylight and yellowish i fluorescent light - although it is not fluorescence).

The other one, as I was told, was glass (air bubbles). Well, it is not glass. It is green-blue, like old untreated aquas, and very bright. Because of big windows the picture is not impressive. Under fluorescent light it does not fluoresce, but turnes very light pink, like kunzite or morganite - a color that is impossible to capture. I do not know what it is, it has no growth lines, does not fluoresce but changes color under fluorescent (not incandescent) light.
Can glass do it?

Pics tomorrow or the day after.

 

[T L]

Date: 3/28/2010 2:23:35 AM
Author:crasru
No pics because I need my office computer (technical issues). But I played with fluorescent pens and my stones all evening long. My alex fluoresced, and my ruby fluoresced like a madman. Same for Mahenge spinel. The small Tanzanian one had some fluorescence, too but mild.

Garnets do not fluoresce as I found out. Nor do tourmalines althoug they become brighter.

Another ruby that fluoresced madly was a very small one, in my pin.

Synthetic spinel (''alex''), sadly, fluoresced almost like the real one.

And one other interesting effect, an answer to which I did not find.

I have two stones, one of them identified as synthetic sapphire (curved growth lines, lavender color changing to blue in daylight and yellowish i fluorescent light - although it is not fluorescence).

The other one, as I was told, was glass (air bubbles). Well, it is not glass. It is green-blue, like old untreated aquas, and very bright. Because of big windows the picture is not impressive. Under fluorescent light it does not fluoresce, but turnes very light pink, like kunzite or morganite - a color that is impossible to capture. I do not know what it is, it has no growth lines, does not fluoresce but changes color under fluorescent (not incandescent) light.
Can glass do it?

Pics tomorrow or the day after.

Some tsavorite, and my mint garnet fluoresces. I found out it''s due to chromium.

 

[PrecisionGem]

That''s interesting about your tsavorite fluorescent. In Matlins book, it''s not listed as a stone that would, however YAG is.

 

[T L]

Date: 3/28/2010 10:57:42 AM
Author: PrecisionGem
That''s interesting about your tsavorite fluorescent. In Matlins book, it''s not listed as a stone that would, however YAG is.

I got the details from a very experienced gemologist who did experiments with green grossular garnet on another website. He found that fluorescent green grossular gets this ability from the presence of chromium. My mint grossular glows pink, my tsavorite does not, but some tsavorites do fluoresce red/pink. Matlins is not 100% correct, but truth be told, I find some of her information a bit outdated in her books.

 

[innerkitten]

YAG is sort of like a lab garnet right?

 

[T L]

Date: 3/28/2010 12:45:45 PM
Author: innerkitten
YAG is sort of like a lab garnet right?

Yes, it is.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yttrium_aluminium_garnet

However, some tsavorite contain chromium, and fluoresce as a result.

This page talks about garnets and fluorescence, and states that grossulars may show some weak fluorescence.

http://www.geo.utexas.edu/courses/347k/redesign/gem_notes/garnet/garnet_main.htm

I have to say that my grossular doesn't glow a deep red, it's a light pink, and not a strong fluorescence. I would imagine that YAG would glow deep red like most chromium enriched synthetic gems.

 

[LD]

Date: 3/28/2010 10:57:42 AM
Author: PrecisionGem
That''s interesting about your tsavorite fluorescent. In Matlins book, it''s not listed as a stone that would, however YAG is.

Arcadian and I bought Tsavorites (from the same parcel) sold by Swala. Both have fluorescence.

 

[innerkitten]

How interesting. Thats something you don't really hear about. It would be fun to do a side by side comparison.

ETA: I think it does mention YAG and fluorescence on the Wiki page.

 

[innerkitten]

Date: 3/28/2010 11:02:20 AM
Author: tourmaline_lover

Date: 3/28/2010 10:57:42 AM
Does this mean a chrome tourmaline will also. Or is it a totally different mineral?

Author: PrecisionGem

That''s interesting about your tsavorite fluorescent. In Matlins book, it''s not listed as a stone that would, however YAG is.

I got the details from a very experienced gemologist who did experiments with green grossular garnet on another website. He found that fluorescent green grossular gets this ability from the presence of chromium. My mint grossular glows pink, my tsavorite does not, but some tsavorites do fluoresce red/pink. Matlins is not 100% correct, but truth be told, I find some of her information a bit outdated in her books.

Does this mean a chrome tourmaline will also. Or is it a totally different mineral?

 

[T L]

Date: 3/28/2010 4:43:36 PM
Author: innerkitten

Date: 3/28/2010 11:02:20 AM
Author: tourmaline_lover

Date: 3/28/2010 10:57:42 AM
Does this mean a chrome tourmaline will also. Or is it a totally different mineral?

Author: PrecisionGem

That''s interesting about your tsavorite fluorescent. In Matlins book, it''s not listed as a stone that would, however YAG is.

I got the details from a very experienced gemologist who did experiments with green grossular garnet on another website. He found that fluorescent green grossular gets this ability from the presence of chromium. My mint grossular glows pink, my tsavorite does not, but some tsavorites do fluoresce red/pink. Matlins is not 100% correct, but truth be told, I find some of her information a bit outdated in her books.

Does this mean a chrome tourmaline will also. Or is it a totally different mineral?

Okay, I''m going out on a limb here, but I do think, and I don''t know for sure, but I suspect all gems that are chromium rich have the ability to fluor. I do know that chromium rich ruby, alexandrite, emerald, tsavorite, mahenge spinel all fluor, so I don''t see why chrome tourmaline wouldn''t unless the amount of chromium is very very small. I hope a gemologist or gem afficionado familiar with the science of UV fluor in gems will chime in.

 

[Arkteia]

What is interesting is that I did not see much fluorescence in my emeralds. All of them were checked, all certified as natural. I have to check once again (I did not use dark room but honestly, the stones that really fluoresced did not need a dark room.) Some just became brighter, like my demantoid (I tried to make a picture of it but really, I do not have a tripod at home, and taking pictures while holding a fluorescent pen in your mouth is not so convenient!0. Some changed color, but not really fluoresce. The ones that did, did so in a 40-w light as well.

 

[T L]

Some emeralds fluoresce, but not all. Are your emeralds Columbian?

 

[colormyworld]

I am pretty sure chrome pyrope aka ant hill garnets or chrome tourmaline do not show any fluorescence. Then again I am no expert so I could be wrong.

ETA I just checked a source that states chrome tourmaline may show weak fluorescence.

 

[T L]

Thanks CMW,
Wasn''t sure about all gems fluorescing.

Crasru,
I do know that the one gemologist that conducted some experiments did tell me that chromium was the cause of fluorescence in the grossular garnets. As for why gems and other materials have fluorescence, perhaps you physicist husband would know. It does have to do with excitation of electrons I believe.

 

[LD]

I guess the extent of the fluor depends on the extent of the chemical composition within it that exhibits fluor - if that makes sense!

I''ve got a number of Emeralds and one only shows a baby pink fluoresence while another shows a much stronger pink/red. Having said that, the fluor in my Emeralds is considerably "weaker" than my Alexandrites that literally go to stop light red without any effort!

I guess the way to look at it is that some diamonds fluoresce, others don''t so it''s probably wrong to say that "X gemstones always fluoresce". There are probably some rules that make fluoresence more likely but just like us, each gem is an individual!!!

 

[Arkteia]

OK I got some pictures
first my ruby ring
this picture is not taken in darkness

 

[Arkteia]

more

 

[Arkteia]

This one is funny because one of the diamonds fluoresces blue
(I guess it is not desirable in diamonds?)

 

[Arkteia]

This one is alexandrite

 

[Arkteia]

And this, too

 

[Arkteia]

This one is demantoid - bathroom light, with black light pen directed at it

 

[Arkteia]

This one is in darkness - I presume it is not fluorescence? Just bright color? Or some?

 

[Arkteia]

Minimal fluorescence in Tanzanian spinel

 

[Arkteia]

And this one is Mahenge

 

[Arkteia]

Spectral, isn''t it?

 

[T L]

Thank you for the shots Crasru,
You were correct that the demantoid does not show any fluorescence.

 

[Arkteia]

Thank you, TL. Some more pics

This is a small ruby in my pin - natural light

 

[Arkteia]

Same in fluorescent light

 

[Arkteia]

This is an interesting stone. It is a small pin with lavender-violet stone. Comes from Russia. I always thought it was amethyst. Well, it fluoresces. Possibly, lavender spinel?

 

[Arkteia]

Fluorescent light