Every so often, a common location will produce a very uncommon specimen. The Elmwood mine, a zinc mine located in Carthage, Tennessee, is best known to collectors for producing beautiful display quality golden calcite and purple fluorite specimens in combination with metallic sphalerite. These specimens typically show little or no fluorescence under UV, so the Elmwood mine is not generally regarded as a source of fluorescent minerals. The specimen presented here is an exception, and shows that the Elmwood can occasionally produce high quality fluorescent minerals.
This specimen consists of small honey-colored scalenohedral calcite crystals on a base of tan barite and minor red sphalerite. This is a small piece, measuring 42 x 38 x 29 mm. As can be seen in the following composite photograph, the calcite shows a beautiful multi-colored, multi-wave fluorescent response under UV.
The fluorescent response is moderate under short wave UV (254nm), brighter under long wave (365nm), and is brightest under mid wave (302nm). Here are larger images of the specimen:
Mouse over the scrolling images for wavelength information.
The following are a series of close-up images of the same specimen, showing detail in the individual calcite crystals. The horizontal field of view is approximately 10 mm.
Click on each of the above images for a larger view and wavelength information.
In these next two fluorescent macro images, the UV lighting direction was changed for a more dramatic effect.
Mouse over the scrolling images for wavelength information.