Fluorescence In Minerals-II

There are a few minerals that will fluoresce when pure. These are called "self-activated" minerals, and include scheelite, powellite, and several uranium minerals. Others suspected of being self-activated include benitoite, cerussite, anglesite and perhaps many other lead minerals. Scheelite, a major ore of tungsten, is often found by its brilliant sky-blue fluorescence. If it has a little molybdenum in it (which makes it troublesome to extract the tungsten), this color is modified to white or yellow, providing a quick way to assess the commercial value of a find.

Several secondary uranium minerals, such as autunite, are also characteristically fluorescent a bright yellowish green. This is due to the presence of uranyl ion; this ion is so prone to fluorescence that trace amounts of it cause yellowish-green fluorescence in a very large number of minerals, including adamite, apophyllite, aragonite, calcite, quartz, and opal. Any yellowish-green fluorescence other than willemite is likely to be due to the uranyl ion.

 

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