Database of luminescent Minerals

CALOMEL

Chemical Formula: alpha Hg₂Cl₂

Familly: Halides

Status: IMA-GP

Crystal System: Tetragonal

Mineral for Display: No

Luminescence:

Phosphorescence (in the common meaning of the term) seen by naked eye:

Comments:

Fluo brightest under longwave than shortwave contrarly to similar fluorescing calcite;  

The previously reported fluorescent Terlinguaite and Corderoite (two mercury minerals) seems to bee both non fluorescent.

Main Activator(s) and spectrum:

Most Common Activator:

Peaks in the spectrum (nm):

• band extending from 580nm to 640nm under SWUV;

Comments on activators and spectra:

Synthetic calomel used in chemical lab is also luminescent.Jack De Ment studied the luminescence spectrum of calomel in 1943. It consist of a bright red band extending from 580nm to 640nm under SW excitation.

Activator: "self-activated", the luminescence is produced by electron transfer between paired mercury atoms in different ionization states.
Synthetic calomel used in chemical lab is also luminescent.Jack De Ment studied the luminescence spectrum of calomel in 1943. It consist of a bright red band extending from 580nm to 640nm under SW excitation.

Best Locality for luminescence(*):

• Landsberg (Moschellandsberg), Alsenz-Obermoschel, Palatinate, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany;
• Mariposa mine, Terlingua District, Brewster county, Texas, USA;
• Redwood City, San Mateo Co., California, USA;

(*)Data are not exhaustive and are limited to the most important localities for fluorescence

Bibliographical Reference for luminescence:

• The Henkel Glossary of Fluorescent Minerals, Dr. Gerhard Henkel, Published by the FMS, 1989 ,
• Fluorescence: Gems and Minerals Under Ultraviolet Light, Manuel Robbins, 1994, Geoscience Press, ISBN 0-945005-13-X ,
• The World of Fluorescent Minerals, Stuart Schneider, Schiffer Publishing, 2006, ISBN 0-7643-2544-2 ,
• Handbook of Fluorescent Gems and Minerals, a practical guide for the gem and mineral collector, Jack de Ment, 1949 ,

Mineralogical Reference on internet:

  http://www.mindat.org/show.php?name=Calomel

  http://webmineral.com/data/Calomel.shtml

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