Database of luminescent Minerals


Ruby


Chemical Formula:See CORUNDUM

Familly: Oxides and hydroxides

Status: NON APPR

Crystal System: Rhomboedric

Mineral for Display: Yes

Associated names (luminescent varieties, discredited names, synonymes etc.):  anyolite

Luminescence:


UV Type Main color Intensity Observation Frequency
Long Waves (365nm):      Red Strong
Mid waves (320 nm):      Red Medium
Short Waves (254 nm):      Red Medium

Long Waves Picture (365nm)


Rubis, UV LW,
Luc Yen, Vietnam,
Photo & Col. G. Barmarin

 

Galerie de photos:

            ...

     To the gallery (5 images in the gallery)


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


No phosphorescence seen by naked eye whatever the type of UV

Thermoluminescence: Yes


Comments:


Anyolite: corindon in zoïsite and pargasite rock mined in Tanzania.

 

Prilep rubies in the Republic of Macedonia appear to be a mixture of diaspore and corundum. They have the particularity of having an orange fluorescence in some areas and a red (classic) fluorescence in others with rarely also a yellow fluorescence at the top or center of the crystals. Orange fluorescence could be attributed to diaspore (Mn2+ replacing Al3+ with a charge compensation mechanism see diaspore) and ruby red (Cr3+ replacing Al3+). Margarite (green mica) included in corundum emits also a white to slightly greenish fluorescence (see bibliography below)

 

The slight almost linear displacement of the wavelength of the R1 and R2 lines with pressure (several GPa) makes it possible to measure colossal pressures with a certain degree of accuracy.

 


Main Activator(s) and spectrum:


Most Common Activator: Cr3+

Peaks in the spectrum (nm):

Cr3+ replacing Al3+ : Lines at 692.8 (693), 694.3nm  (sharp R1 and R2 lines)

Cr3+ :  658.2 , 668.2 ,  674.1 , 680 (small lines)  

N-lines (Cr3+ pairs) : 705.8 , 712nm (small lines)


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

   ...

  To the spectrum gallery (1 spectra in the gallery)


Comments on activators and spectra:


Activator: Cr3+ replacing Al3+ giving strong well known 2E->4A2 lines with long decay time;

Besides that, much weaker narrow lines present, which are connected with Cr-pairs and more complicated complexes (so called N-lines) (Tarashchan 1978).

 

Lifetime of the R-line: 3,6ms;

 

 


Best Locality for luminescence(*):


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


Bibliographical Reference for luminescence:



Luminescence Reference on internet:



Mineralogical Reference on internet:


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

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

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