There is no more fascinating a locale for mineral enthusiasts than Madagascar--a virtual "goldmine" of some of the world's finest mineral specimens--especially for sphering.

This tiny island, with its volcanic origins, is constantly increasing its treasure trove of available sphered material. This year the marketplace saw the introduction of  polychrome jasper-- highly polished mixes of gray, beige and rust in large patterns-- and the very fragile celestite, stunning geode spheres with baby blue crystals.

Madagascar is probably best know for its excellent quality labradorite and fine star rose quartz, with superb asterism.

The nation shares with Brazil a reputation for producing some of the best quartz specimens in the world of all grades. The varieties include crystal quartz, smokey quartz, rose quartz, yellow-tinged quartz, lavender quartz and hematoid quartz. Hematoid is a lovely peach-colored quartz whose color is influenced by the inclusion of hematite in its mineral make-up.

Other materials that predominate in the region are large, bright orange carnelian spheres, sky blue calcite, orange and yellow calcites with black spots, unusual jaspers in intriguing colors (pink, yellow, etc.) and petrified woods, as well as both blue and green apatite. The most beautiful blue apatite has generally been irradiated from a naturally green apatite. However, plain olive green apatite can be interesting and pretty.

Madgascar also produces an interesting "blue opal," also known as girasol or durasol. It is a milky sphere with a certain subtle glassy irridescence, reminiscent of moonstone.But a few other more rare species also grab our attention: the gorgeous golden gemmy ammonites, the black/white gabbro, the spotted illmenite, and the lovely lavender anhydrite.

SPOTLIGHT ON:
FLOURESCENT SPHERES

Quiz: What spheres would the average collector disregard during a shopping spree seeking striking new sphere specimens?
Answer: Fluorescent Spheres…the reason is that like the frog prince, these mostly unattractive spheres transform when kissed--by ultraviolet light.

Fluorescence is an effect of photoluminescence where
a mineral emits visible light when illuminated with higher-energy ultraviolet light. This phenomenon is further defined by the distinction between a fluorescent sphere, for which the special properties are only apparent when lit, and a phosphorescent sphere, which continues to glow for some time after the light source is taken away.

What causes this unique property are "activators," impurities which respond by giving off bright colored light under U.V. conditions. Some minerals respond best to short wave light and others to long wave.

Some minerals will always fluoresce. Others only when they possess the activators which trigger the phenomenon. For example, willemite is generally not fluorescent unless it comes from Franklin, New Jersey where the deposit contains manganese.

Certain regions of the world are globally famous for their rich deposits of fluorescent minerals. Perhaps the best known are Franklin/Sterling Hill NJ. Franklin is the pinnacle of fluorescent mineral localities. Nearly one out of every four minerals at this site fluoresceses. It is most famous for its Calcite/Willemite combination, which gives off startling red/green contrasts.
Other Franklin contributions are hardystonite, clinohedrite and esperite.

The Mount St. Hilaire & Bancroft regions in Canada. offer some great specimens. Among the striking fluorescent minerals that come from these territories are Hackmanite/ Sodalite (violet/ pink shades) and Wernerite (yellow and purple). Another key Canadian import is Agrellite from the Kipawa Complex (bright pink).

Certainly fluorescent minerals are not confined to these regions. Arizona and New Mexico offer scheelite and chalcedony, New England produces fluorescent fluorapatite, Parker Mountain New Hampshire mines             deep red eucryptite, Peru, the remarkable shocking pink mangano calcite. From South America recently have emerged stunning condor and crater agates--not inexpensive, but beautiful in either white or fluorescent light. Some other mineral spheres which fluorecese include fluorite, calcite, aragonite, ulexite, wollastonite and zincite.

How does one become initiated into fluorescent spheres? One way is to join the Fluorescent Mineral Society. Founded in 1971, this  international organization provides a unique source of information exchange for everyone from the expert to the novice. The FMS publishes a bi-monthly newsletter, U.V. Waves. Dues are under $20, and some regions offer regular meetings of members. You can either email Doug Mitchell at DMitchell@compuserve.com or write Dr. Rodney K. Burroughs, President, P.O. Box 572694, Tarzana, CA 91357. Phone: (818) 343-6637. The website is www.uvminerals.org.

Another excellent source of information is the Henkel Glossary of Fluorescent Minerals, which the FMS published in 1989, and is regularly updated with new finds.Gerhard Henkel was  a German collector with a degree in chemistry and physics, who upon searching fruitlessly for a source of information on fluorescent species, created his own. It is an exhaustive list of minerals, denoting their chemical composition, the color that they fluorescese and whether they respond under short or long wave.

Your local library may also  offer some of the more than dozen excellent volumes on fluorescent minerals.

Viewing and buying fluorescent spheres may be a bit more challenging. There are a number of companies that offer small compact 4-inch long hand-held U.V. lights that can alternate short or long wave, though these are not terribly powerful.
Read our monthly column on spheres in the Eclectic Lapidary online magazine!

There are also a few portable larger short wave units with handles on the market, which are very powerful. However, if the dealer does not have a dark room or curtained area where you can see the sphere solely lit by U.V. light, it may be difficult to judge its character. At the very least, see if the dealer will let you take the sphere into a darkened bathroom.

Lighting a display at home is also a complicated affair. Lights need to be mounted on a frame, track system or other device immediately above the specimens. You'll need to either separate your short wave from your long wave spheres and create separate space for each, or build a display where you can have both a long and a short wave source mounted side-by-side above the collection.

Light Companies

Here are some of the companies which offer U.V. lighting for mineral collectors:

Raytech (Middletown CT)
Spectronics (Westbury CT)
UVP (Upland, California)
UV Systems (Renton, Washington)

Enjoy the mystery of fluorescent spheres and the transformation they undertake in the ultraviolet part of the spectrum!
 

Today's Tip
 Ever broken a quartz crystal, only to have white crystaline residue left over?
 Reader Vince Nelson of Utah tells us that dabbing on Future Floor Wax with a Q-tip will eliminate the white residue.
 

 Bob's Rock Shop
 If you're just getting online and want to get a great overall view of what's on the web pertaining to minerals, there is no better place to go than Bob's Rock Shop at www.rockhounds.com

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