PYROMORPHITE
Chemical Formula: Pb5(PO4)3Cl
Familly: Phosphates, Arseniates, Vanadates
Status: IMA-GP
Crystal System: Hexagonal
Mineral for Display: No
Luminescence:
UV Type |
Main color |
Intensity |
Observation Frequency |
|
| | | |
Long Waves (365nm): | Yellowish | | | Mid waves (320 nm): | Orangy yellow | | | Short Waves (254 nm): | Orange | | | | | | |
Other colors LW: | Yellowish White , Dark Orange /Tawn , Tawn , |
Other colors MW: | Yellowish White , Pale Yellow , Yellow , Orangy yellow , Orange , Dark Orange /Tawn , Tawn , Yellowish , |
Other colors SW: | Yellowish White , Pale Yellow , Orangy yellow , Dark Orange /Tawn , Tawn , Yellowish , |
Phosphorescence (in the common meaning of the term) seen by naked eye:
No Data
Comments:
Variety: campylite (rounded crystals)
Main Activator(s) and spectrum:
Most Common Activator: Eu3+
Other activators: Pb2+ , Ce3+ , Sm3+ , Eu3+ , Tb3+ , O-2 , VO43- ,
Peaks in the spectrum (nm):
(VO4)3- : Broad band peaking at 580nm
Ce3+ : 350, 375nm
Eu3+ : 580, 594, 611, 613, 615, 620, 622, 700nm
Sm3+ : 566, 603, 652nm
Nd3+ : 858, 889nm

Spectrum: Michael Gaft, Petah Tikva, Israel. Plot: Institute of Mineralogy, University of Vienna, Austria, with permission of the authors.
Comments on activators and spectra:
Luminescence centers O2- (Tarashchan 1978) and evidently (VO4)3- (Gaft 1984) characterize steady-state spectra of pyromorphite.
Laser-induced time-resolved technique enables to detect Ce3+, Eu3+, Sm3+ and Tb3+ emission centers and possibly Pb2+.
Excitation by CW laser with 532 and 780 nm revealed narrow luminescence lines possibly belonging to trivalent REE (Nd, Eu, Sm) and two luminescence bands peaking at 625 and 675 nm (sample from Les Farges, France, unknown activator).
Best Locality for luminescence(*):
- Rosenberg Mine, Braubach, Bad Ems District, Lahn valley, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany (orange MW);
- Society Girl Mine, Moyie, British Colombia, Canada ;
- Dao Ping Mine, Guangxi Autonomous Region, China (a small percentage of the samples of this mine is yellow fluorescing MW; the lighter colored samples seem to have a better chance to be luminescent, appearing on the market in Ste marie aux Mines in 2007);
- Bunker Hill Mine, Bunker Hill properties, Kellogg, Coeur d Alene District, Shoshone Co., Idaho, USA (dull fluo SW+LW);
- Kabwe Mine, Broken Hill, Zambia (dull fluo SW yellowish brown);
- Resuperferolitica Mine, Minas Viejas, Santa Eufemia, Córdoba, Andalusia, Spain (fluo LW & SW);
- Les Farges Mine, Ussel, Corrèze, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France (LW & SW);
- Pcheloyad Mine, Momchilgrad, Kardzhali Province, Bulgaria (LW);
- Broken Hill, Broken Hill district, Yancowinna Co., New South Wales, Australia (Very fluorescent long & short UV);
- Black Star pit, Mount Isa, Mount Isa City, Queensland Australia (fluorescent long & short UV);
(*)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 ,
- Handbook of Fluorescent Gems and Minerals, a practical guide for the gem and mineral collector, Jack de Ment, 1949 ,
Luminescence Reference on internet:
Mineralogical Reference on internet:
http://www.mindat.org/show.php?name=Pyromorphite
http://webmineral.com/data/Pyromorphite.shtml
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