"What's New!" A fluorescent minerals blog.

1) Today I have added 43 new specimens to the Franklin/Sterling Hill Showcase page of my website.  Some sample photographs are included above.  I recently acquired a very nice collection of Franklin/Sterling Hill specimens.  This collection included such Franklin mine classics as margarosanite, “third find” as well as fibrous wollastonite, esperite, barite, xonotlite, prehnite, roeblingite, manganaxinite, 3 and 4-color specimens, hardystonite crystals etc.   This collection also included the well-known “Snoopy” piece of calcite, hardystonite and esperite featured in Manny Robbins’s first book (#61, plate 16).  Specimens from the Sterling Hill mine included such classics as “beta” willemite, exsolution willemite, calcite/barite, mylonitic ore etc.

2) It’s not often quality specimens like these from the Franklin mine become available for purchase.  My advice would be to purchase them while you can!   

3) I am currently photographing specimens from a new mine in Arizona that I am very excited about.  Information about this new mine will be included on my website when the time comes to release specimens for sale.  As always, those on my email list will be notified the moment these new specimens are uploaded to my site.  

Instead of the What’s New page on my website, I have decided to turn that into a blog page.  All the information about new minerals posted that I put in my customer emails, I will now make part of the blog page as well.  This way people who view my website, that are not on my email list, will get the opportunity to read the information I provide in my customer emails.  Also, people can always go back to read an earlier post if there is some information that they forgot.

Today I have added 36 new specimens to the Worldwide Showcase Page of my website.  There are four main batches to this update, as well as many single specimens.  A description of some of the larger batches is provided below.

A) Aragonite from Sicily – Just got in a new batch of Sicilian aragonite specimens directly from Italy.  These specimens are mostly display and large display size specimens.  They range in fluorescent longwave response from pale pink to dark pink and even red/pink.  They all exhibit a nice color change to pale greenish/white when under shortwave ultraviolet light.  After exposure to shortwave ultraviolet light, the specimens exhibit a sustained luminescence.

B) Amber from Indonesia – Deep brown amber from the Oligocene Epoch (30 mya).  Under longwave ultraviolet light this amber fluoresces a beautiful cornflower blue.  Although not a mineral, fluorescent amber sometimes makes a nice addition to a fluorescent mineral collection.

C) Tugtupite from Greenland – A couple of nice tugtupite specimens from Greenland, including a real aesthetic specimen with a uranyl activated green mineral from Kvanefjeld.  Tugtupite fluoresces a beautiful pinkish red color under shortwave ultraviolet light with a nice color change to orange under longwave ultraviolet light.D) Calcite and willemite from Australia – A couple of nice multi-colored specimens from the Puttapa Mine in Australia.   The willemite in these specimens fluoresces in a range of colors.  Some of the willemite  also has a nice color change to yellow under longwave ultraviolet light.  The willemite also exhibits a long duration sustained luminescence.

Today I have added 43 new specimens to the United States Showcase Page of my website.  A description of some of the larger batches is provided below.

A) Sphalerite from Pennsylvania – I was recently able to obtain a nice batch of multi-colored sphalerite specimens from a new find in Pennsylvania.  As with the sphalerite I sold awhile back from the new find in Montana, these sphalerite specimens require a longwave LED flashlight to really enjoy the fluorescent colors.  As noted in the notes section below each photograph, these sphalerite specimens were photograph using a C8+ longwave LED flashlight.  I do have these flashlights for sale if you would like to purchase one along with a specimen.

According to the field collector of these specimens there are two veins.  In one vein the sphalerite can fluoresce red, orange and pink (and rarely blue).  In the other vein the sphalerite fluoresces orange and pink.  In both veins you can also get a cherry red fluorescing dolomite.  Some specimens contain secondary hydrozincite, smithsonite and in some cases cerussite.  The sphalerite is triboluminescent as well.  The collector of these specimens has told me that if there appears to be a good demand for these, he can provide me with more specimens.

B) Sphalerite from the Sweet Home mine in Colorado – Over the past few years my good friends at Collector’s Edge minerals have been putting aside for me the best specimens of fluorescent sphalerite from the Sweet Home mine.  These specimens are the result of the trimming process as they work to expose the rhodochrosite.  As a result, some specimens have sawcut faces.  Although these sphalerite specimens fluoresce under longwave tube lighting, they really are bright and beautiful under longwave LED lighting.   These specimens were photographed using a C8+ longwave LED flashlight.  Specimens may also contain fluorescent violet fluorite (in some cases chlorophane).

C) Willemite, Calcite, Fluorite from the Purple Passion Mine in Arizona –  For this batch I put together a few nice “A” grade pieces from the Purple Passion Mine in Arizona.  I also included a nice large display piece that would be perfect for a center piece of a display.  Some of the calcite from the Purple Passion Mine fluoresces more brightly under midrange ultraviolet, although shortwave ultraviolet alone is still alright for this material.

D) Eucryptite from the Midnight Owl mine in Arizona –  I grabbed a few nice specimens of crimson red fluorescing eucryptite from my stock.  These pieces come from the famous Midnight Owl pegmatite mine in Arizona.  Some of these specimens also contain a fluorescing spodumene (spodumene can typically alter to eucryptite).   Capturing the brilliant crimson fluorescent color of eucryptite with digital cameras is tricky.  As a result, I put a note saying that the specimens did not photograph well.

It is with great sadness that I must pass on the news that my dear friend Claude Poli passed away on February 15, 2024.  Claude lived in New Jersey and was a long-time collector of Franklin/Sterling Hill minerals.  I think the first time I met Claude was at the Franklin Mill Site in the early 1980s.  We became very good friends shortly thereafter.  Not only did we share our love for fluorescent minerals, but we shared our love for classic rock and roll and our favorite band, The Who.  We would spend hours on the telephone, first talking about any new fluorescent minerals I had for sale, and then always finishing up the conversation about The Who and rock and roll in general.  Whenever I found a new book or video on The Who I would always send him a copy, which he greatly appreciated.  The last time I saw Claude was in 2019.  I had traveled east with three of my dear friends from Arizona.  We were attending the September Franklin mineral show.  When we arrived in New Jersey our first stop was to visit Claude.  My friends enjoyed meeting Claude and had a wonderful visit.  Claude not only had many stories to tell but had great minerals to see and to purchase.  We all appreciated his hospitality and kindness.  It was a visit I don’t think my friends will forget and I am glad they all got to meet him.
 
I greatly admired Claude’s ability to field collect.  He was incredibly aggressive with both his field collecting and his purchasing of fluorescent mineral specimens.  His love for the hobby was unmatched as he put together amazing collections.  Over the years he would provide me with large quantities of self-collected specimens for my business.  I still have lots of these specimens in my inventory today.  My personal collection is also filled with specimens I have purchased from Claude over the many years I have known him.   I’m sure there are many people in the hobby that can say the same thing.  To me he was an icon in the Franklin community and will be missed by many.  I know I will miss him and his bandana and suspenders!  I will also miss the hour-long telephone conversations I have had with him.
 
Rest in peace my good friend, may God bless.  Till we meet again.

George V. Polman

Today I have added 37 new specimens to the Worldwide Showcase Page of my website.  A description of some of the larger batches is provided below.

A) Marialite from Afghanistan – I was recently able to obtain a nice batch of yellow fluorescing marialite crystal specimens from Afghanistan.  Along with the yellow fluorescing marialite can be found sky blue fluorescing diopside and in some specimens a red fluorescing calcite.

B) Multi-colored specimens from Greenland – This batch contains some specimens rich in ussingite with associated minerals tugtupite, sodalite, analcime, polylithionite as well as chkalovite. 

C) Cerussite from Morocco – This batch contains the typical tan colored cerussite crystals with associated barite and galena on matrix.  Some cerussite specimens from Morocco fluoresce best under longwave ultraviolet light while others fluoresce best under midrange ultraviolet light.

D) Calcite and Dolomite from Austria – This batch contains interesting patterns of secondary calcite within a dolomite matrix.  The collector of these specimens calls them “Network Calcites”.  The material was found at an outcropping in Salzburg, Austria.  The calcite fluoresces a bright white in both shortwave and longwave ultraviolet light, with some of the calcite fluorescing red under shortwave ultraviolet light.  The white fluorescing calcite exhibits sustained luminescence. 

Today I have added 37 new specimens to the Worldwide Showcase Page of my website.  A description of some of the larger batches is provided below.

A) Marialite from Afghanistan – I was recently able to obtain a nice batch of yellow fluorescing marialite crystal specimens from Afghanistan.  Along with the yellow fluorescing marialite can be found sky blue fluorescing diopside and in some specimens a red fluorescing calcite.

B) Multi-colored specimens from Greenland – This batch contains some specimens rich in ussingite with associated minerals tugtupite, sodalite, analcime, polylithionite as well as chkalovite. 

C) Cerussite from Morocco – This batch contains the typical tan colored cerussite crystals with associated barite and galena on matrix.  Some cerussite specimens from Morocco fluoresce best under longwave ultraviolet light while others fluoresce best under midrange ultraviolet light.

D) Calcite and Dolomite from Austria – This batch contains interesting patterns of secondary calcite within a dolomite matrix.  The collector of these specimens calls them “Network Calcites”.  The material was found at an outcropping in Salzburg, Austria.  The calcite fluoresces a bright white in both shortwave and longwave ultraviolet light, with some of the calcite fluorescing red under shortwave ultraviolet light.  The white fluorescing calcite exhibits sustained luminescence. 

1. Added new Li-ion battery pack to the battery pack page.
2. Polman Minerals will no longer be selling NiMH battery packs.  Instead we have switched to these new high-quality Li-ion packs. The packs are rechargeable and are 14.8-volt and 5.2 amp/hour.  They come complete with a barrel connector and soft Velcro on one side of the pack.  The pack weighs only 13.2 ounces, making it ideal for field use!  For more information on the battery packs as well as charging units and other accessories, please follow the link for battery packs.

Polman Minerals will no longer be selling NiMH battery packs.  Instead we have switched to these new high-quality Li-ion packs. The packs are rechargeable and are 14.8-volt and 5.2 amp/hour.  They come complete with a barrel connector and soft Velcro on one side of the pack.  The pack weighs only 13.2 ounces, making it ideal for field use!  For more information on the battery packs as well as charging units and other accessories, please follow the link for battery packs.

1) Today I have added 17 new mineral specimens to the United States Showcase Page of my website.    

The specimens all contain very rare eucryptite crystals from the famous Foote Mine in North Carolina.  The specimens were collected in the 1960s.  It is my understanding (and I may be wrong about this), that the Foote mine has been the only locality where eucryptite crystals have been found.

About a year ago I was contacted by a well-known mineral dealer.  He told me that he had acquired a collection that included a batch of fluorescent specimens containing very rare eucryptite crystals.  Since he knew I was a fluorescent mineral dealer, he offered this batch to me first.  He knew fluorescent eucryptite crystals were very rare and would be appreciated by my customer base.  I was honored that he chose to sell this batch to me.

The eucryptite crystals range in size from approximately 1mm to 3mm.  They fluoresce under shortwave ultraviolet light with the same crimson red response as massive eucryptite.  Along with the fluorescent crimson red eucryptite is a pale blue fluorescing albite. 

Unfortunately, these specimens were very difficult to photograph.  As a result, the photography is poor.  Trying to capture the crimson red of the eucryptite was impossible.  Also, in some cases not all the blue was from the fluorescing albite.   My digital camera wanted to over emphasize the reflected blue from the UV light on the feldspar etc.  Please contact me if you have any questions about the quality of these specimens.  Since these specimens were collected so long ago, and the Foote mine has been closed for many years, this may be a once in a lifetime chance to obtain one of these specimens for your collection.