Luminescence, fluorescence and phosphorescence of minerals

PECTOLITE

Chemical Formula: NaCa₂Si₃O₈(OH)

Familly: Silicates

Status: IMA-GP

Crystal System: Triclinic

Mineral for Display: No

Associated names (luminescent varieties, discredited names, synonymes etc.): pecto-prehnite, larimar,

Luminescence:

UV Type	Main color	Intensity

Long Waves (365nm):	Yellowish White	Strong
Mid waves (320 nm):	Pink	Strong
Short Waves (254 nm):	Orange	Weak

Other colors LW:	White , Bluish White , Yellowish White , Pinkish White , Pale Yellow , Orangy yellow , Orange , Dark Orange /Tawn , Violet red , Violet Pink , Greenish white , Yellowish ,
Other colors MW:	Orangy yellow , Orange , Violet red , Violet Pink ,
Other colors SW:	Bluish White , Yellowish White , Pale Yellow , Orangy yellow , Orange , Dark Orange /Tawn , Violet red , Violet Pink , Greenish white ,

Daylight Picture

PECTOLITE
Photo and Copyright: James Hamblen
Site of the author
Used with permission of the author

Short Waves Pictures (254nm)

PECTOLITE under UVSW
Photo and Copyright: James Hamblen
Site of the author
Used with permission of the author

Galerie de photos:

...

To the gallery (8 images in the gallery)

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

No Data

Triboluminescence: Yes

Thermoluminescence: Yes

Comments:

Luminescence of pectolite was noted in 1903 by Kunz and Baskerville.

In Mt-St-Hilaire, Pectolite could be confused with Makatite. The major distinguishing feature is the fluorescence. While not all makatite fluoresces, when it does it is moderate to strong blueish white or very pale greenish SW (and sometimes LW as well) and pectolite is fluorescing in pink or orange.

Main Activator(s) and spectrum:

Most Common Activator: Mn²⁺

Other activators: Cr³⁺ , Fe³⁺ , Nd³⁺ ,

Peaks in the spectrum (nm):

Mn²⁺ replacing Ca²⁺ : 580 - 590 - 610nm ( Paterson NJ, USA sample, exc. 532nm)

Fe³⁺ : 722nm (Asbestos Canada sample, exc. 532nm)

Nd³⁺ : 867, 877, 881, 890, 918nm (Mt St Hilaire Canada sample, exc. 780nm)

OH : 652nm (Diako, Sandare District, Mali sample, very sharp peak, exc. 532nm) (Gaft)

Spectrum: Michael Gaft, Petah Tikva, Israel. Plot: Institute of Mineralogy, University of Vienna, Austria, with permission of the authors.

Comments on activators and spectra:

Activator: probably Mn²⁺ substituting to Ca²⁺ (see Gorobets)

Best Locality for luminescence(*):

Franklin, New Jersey, USA (orange SW+LW);
Bergen Hill, NJ, USA;
Lake County, California, USA;
Jeffrey Quarry, Asbestos, Richmond County, Canada (bright orange LW);
Poudrette quarry, Mont Saint-Hilaire, La Vallée-du-Richelieu RCM, Montérégie, Québec, Canada (magenta pink LW+SW);
Langesundfjord, Larvik Plutonic Complex, Norway (yellowish white SW);
Lower New Street, Paterson, Passaic county, New Jersey, USA (orange LW, pink SW);
Ilimaussaq complex, Kvanefjeld, Narsaq, Kitaa (West Greenland) Province, Greenland;
Wessels Mine, Hotazel, Kalahari manganese field (KMF), Northern Cape Province South Africa (intense SW, weaker LW, associated with sugilite);
Apatitovaya Mt., Khibiny massif, Kola peninsula, Russia (yellow-orange);
Kookisvumchorr Mt, Khibiny Massif, Murmansk Oblast, Russia (orange-red LW)

(*)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 ,
Luminescence Spectroscopy of Minerals and Materials, M. Gaft, R. Reisfeld, G. Panczer, Springer Editor, ISBN: 10 3-540-21918-8 ,
Luminescent Spectra of Minerals, Boris S. Gorobets and Alexandre A. Rogojine, Moscow, 2002 ,
Mt St Hilaire Website: http://www.saint-hilaire.ca ,
Handbook of Fluorescent Gems and Minerals, a practical guide for the gem and mineral collector, Jack de Ment, 1949 ,

Luminescence Reference on internet:

The Langesundsfjord: history, geology, pegmatites, minerals, Alf Olav Larsen, Bode Verlag Gmbh, 2010 ISBN 978-3-925094-97-2
Laser-induced fluorescence and thermoluminescence response of a Na-Ca rich silicate CORRECHER V., GARCIA-GUINEA J., CASTILLEJO M. , OUJJA M., REBOLLAR E., LOPEZ-ARCE P. , Radiation Measurement, 2006, vol. 41, n^o 7-8 (318 p.)
Der Aufschluss, Vol.48, n°2 March/April 1997 Langban minerals by Fritz Blatter;
MONT-SAINT-HILAIRE, History, Geology, Mineralogy, Laszlo HORVATH, The Canadian Mineralogist, Special Publication 14, 2019

Images:

Mineralogical Reference on internet:

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

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

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Database of luminescent Minerals