[Rockhounds] AD fluorescence and morning coffee

[Axel Emmermann]

OK, I've looked at the T-shirt now.  Axel, the fluorescent owl is VERY COOL!

> Yes, sorry about the yellow fluorescence. A white fluorescing SNOW-OWL would have been sooooooooooo much cooler even. 

And now, the question (maybe you have an answer), what causes the yellow fluorescence color of that quartz?  It's certainly atypical.

> Guido Mazzoleni has spent quite a few words on that in an article for the FMS-Journal 2 or3 years ago. The researchers found many signs of many activators... But NONE that would explain a broadband emission peak like that. It spans nearly 400 nm and sure enough they found uranyl and some rare earth elements and what have you. But nothing to explain an emission that is as broad as zircon's. I can see that their research has unveiled some of the minor contributing activators, but not "the jackpot". I have seen this kind of fluorescence in many quartzes and nearly always there was some aluminum-bearing mineral involved (andalusite and such). I don't know if there's a relation... one of those long-standing questions in luminescence, I guess. I you tempt me enough, I may take up the challenge 😉
   

I looked again at the mugs too--I see there's a new one now, barite & calcite from Sterling Hill.  Very good!  There's a law in the U.S., you know, any display or product using or depicting fluorescent minerals, has to include at least ONE item or image, from the Franklin-Sterling Hill area.  So now you are in compliance.

> OMMSOYC!!! That is such a relief! 😉

I notice that the price for the barite-calcite mug is higher than the first two.  Ah, I see now, you said, "to drink soup out of".  I guess that mug must be larger size!  (I didn't pick up on that.)

> That is the price that the Webshop proposed. I must have forgotten to halve the profit margin I'll try to change that. 

And, OMG, dear Axel, a spelling error!  The name of the town is OGDENSBURG, not Ogdenburg, you left out the "s".  (Maybe everyone should order one that it, it will become a collector's classic, because of the spelling error.)

>  Damn, I truck gold! The motherload! Where is the quicksalt when you need it...
Nah, I'll change that ASAP.

 Cheers
Axel