Fluorescent/Phosphorescent Fluorite on Calcite, Pint's Quarry, Raymond, Iowa

Amber-colored, cubic fluorite crystals on a bed of scalenohedral calcite, on limestone matrix, from Pint's Quarry, Raymond, Black Hawk Co., Iowa. This specimen shows a similar fluorescent response under all UV wavelengths- the fluorite cubes fluoresce bright off-white with bright and lasting phosphorescence. The calcite fluoresces a dim blue/purple, with zones of blue phosphorescence following short wave UV. The limestone fluoresces a soft tan color. This specimen shows the brightest response under short wave UV. The dimensions are 9.0 x 8.3 5.0 cm, and it weighs 388 grams.

Pint’s Quarry was a former dolomite/limestone quarry with workings more than 100 feet deep. Closed in the late 1990s, Pint’s Quarry is now filled with water, and collecting is now prohibited.

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