Are all rocks fluorescent and how can I see the glow at home?

This week's question comes up many times at rock collecting shows and was asked this week.  Are all rocks fluorescent and how can I see them glow at home?

All minerals have the ability to reflect light. That is what makes them visible to the human eye. Most minerals however, do not fluoresce.  Only about 15% of minerals have an interesting physical property known as "fluorescence". These minerals have the ability to temporarily absorb a small amount of light and an instant later release a small amount of light of a different wavelength. This change in wavelength causes a temporary color change of the mineral in the eye of a human observer.

The color change of fluorescent minerals is most spectacular when they are illuminated in darkness by ultraviolet light (which is not visible to humans) and they release visible light. The photograph above is an example of this phenomenon.

Fluorescence in minerals occurs when a specimen is illuminated with specific wavelengths of light. Ultraviolet light, x-rays and cathode rays are the typical types of light that trigger fluorescence. These types of light have the ability to excite susceptible electrons within the atomic structure of the mineral. These excited electrons temporarily jump up to a higher orbital within the mineral's atomic structure. When those electrons fall back down to their original orbital a small amount of energy is released in the form of light. This release of light is known as fluorescence. 

In order to see this spectacular vision at home, we have home based ultraviolet lamps.   These come in different wavelengths which are needed for certain specimens.  There are 3 wavelengths known to cause this fluorescence: Shortwave (254nm), Midwave (315nm) and Longwave (400nm). Longwave UV is very close to what you have possibly seen in stores as a "black light", and is the least expensive method. 

The vast majority of fluorescent minerals fluoresce under Shortwave UV Lamps.  We carry both battery operated and plug-in models of these types of UV lamps.  Scientists actually utilize these lamps to help them identify specimens.  Ideally, you can also get these types of Ultraviolet Lamps with Filters placed on them to filter out more visible light.  However, these filters are very expensive.  To get at least some home enjoyment out of your fluorescent rocks, we suggest picking up one of our Ultraviolet Lamps so you can see for yourself what types you have!

To stand or not to stand, that is the question of mineral stands...

Displaying our rocks & minerals can be quite an adventure, and also complicated.  After countless hours of hunting for rocks & minerals, whether at a quarry or a rock show, they deserve a special place in your home displayed in all their glory.  After all that effort, they certainly don't belong under your bed, in a closet, locked away in a box where you can't see their natural beauty.

One can either place them on a coffee table, a bookshelf, a curio cabinet, or a display case.  Scatter them all over your home, using rocks with different colors and features to complement your home.  But no matter which option you choose, you need to choose the right mineral stand to complement and support the rock and insure its safety.

There are many types of mineral stands for a reason.  Each rock has a unique shape and size, and of course color.  There are triangle mineral stands shown at right.  There are peg stands shown at left.  And there are even mineral stands carved out of wood shown at right below.

These are just a few of the many mineral stand options for you to choose and there is no single right mineral stand for a particular species.  Try one that you think fits your rocks.  More than likely it will work for you, but if it doesn't chances are you probably have another mineral in your collection that it will work on.  Spend a few dollars and get your favorite minerals out of the closet and up on display on a mineral stand. 

Organizing and Displaying Your Rock Collection

This week's post is about how to easily organize and display a rock collection that I found posted somewhere which I have paraphrased for the benefit of our readers:

1.  Identification - Once you have a rock specimen, you need to identify it.  There are hundreds of different rock types that can be identified, but all rocks can be grouped into one of three basic types of rocks,  Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic. 
2. Labeling - Now that you have identified your rock type, label it.  Write down on an index card the rock’s common name if you know it, the type of rock it is, where it was found and the date it was collected.  By labeling your rocks, you can now organize them into groups which can then be stored together or displayed.
3. Cataloging - Cataloging is an extension of the labeling process.  A catalog is a documented archive of your rock collection.  Each rock specimen has its own label which identifies it.  Your catalog keeps a record of all your rocks.  As your rock collection grows, your catalog will also include information on where your rocks are stored.  This can be done on paper or in a simple spreadsheet on your computer.
4. Display - The last step to organizing your collection is to decide how you will display and store your rocks.  By displaying your rocks both you and others can appreciate their natural beauty.  When displaying your rocks be sure to keep the rock specimen and label together.  Using a protective container is an especially good idea for fragile samples.  Acid free tissue papers can be used to protect especially fragile specimens.  We have a wide variety of Rock Display Cases, Easels and Stands to make your collection look exactly how you want it to look.