Database of luminescent Minerals

PYROMORPHITE

Chemical Formula: Pb₅(PO₄)₃Cl

Familly: Phosphates, Arseniates, Vanadates

Status: IMA-GP

Crystal System: Hexagonal

Mineral for Display: No

Luminescence:

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

Comments:

Variety: campylite (rounded crystals)

Main Activator(s) and spectrum:

Most Common Activator: Eu³⁺

Other activators:            Pb²⁺ , Ce³⁺ , Sm³⁺ , Eu³⁺ , Tb³⁺ , O^-₂ , VO₄^3- ,

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

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:

• Marvelous Midwave, Jeffrey Shallit, UV-Waves, vol.39, November-December 2009
• http://www.minerant.org/archief/fluo-Belgie.pdf

 

Images:

 

• Bad Ems, Germany MW: http://www.mindat.org/photo-33876.html
• Pcheloyad Mine, Momchilgrad, Kardzhali Province, Bulgaria

Mineralogical Reference on internet:

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

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

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