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Charoite, Aegirine, Microcline, Tinkasite, and Steacyite, MurMurunskii Massif, Russia

This is a polished slab of purple charoite, black aegirine, white microcline, light brown tinkasite, and steacyite from the Murunskii Massif, Chara and Tokko Rivers confluence, Aldan Shield, Russia. The slab is 14.5cm by 9cm. The microcline fluoresces red in longwave and shortwave UV light. The microcline was identified with XRD analysis. Longwave UV spectra of the red fluorescence has a peak at 684nm. The fluorescence extends into the near infrared as well. Ferric iron is the likely activator of the red fluorescence.

According mindat.org, the scattered grains of a green fluorescent mineral in the slab are likely steacyite. Steacyite is a thorium-bearing mineral. Uranium has replaced some of the thorium and causes the green fluorescence in both longwave and shortwave UV light. The longwave UV fluorescent spectrum of a grain in the specimen has peaks at 511nm and 527nm characteristic of uranyl activated fluorescence. The last three pictures show a closeup of green fluorescent steacyite grains and red fluorescing microcline in another charoite specimen. The largest steacyite grain in the picture in 2mm long.

Pictures are LW, SW, white light, LW color infrared, SW color infrared, longwave UV fluorescent spectra of steacyite and microcline, LW, SW and white closeup images of steacyite and microcline.





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