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

1) Today I have added 36 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 bustamite, prehnite, turneaurite, esperite, barite, 3 and 4-color specimens, hardystonite crystals, radiating willemite 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 the Green Envy mine as well as specimens from the McLaughlin (Manhattan) mine in California.   As always, those on my email list will be notified the moment these new specimens are uploaded to my site.  

Today I have added 42 new specimens to the Worldwide Showcase Page of my website.  A description of some of the larger batches is provided below.

A) Tugtupite from Greenland – There are multiple specimens containing
tugtupite on this latest Worldwide Showcase update. Some specimens
contain tugtupite with polylithionite. Others include tugtupite with sodalite and analcime.

B) Sodalite from Canada – Today I have added some nice sodalite specimens from Mt. St. Hilaire in Quebec, Canada. These sodalite specimens fluoresce a very nice bright orange under longwave ultraviolet light and are a must for a beginner’s collection.

C) Fluorapatite from Mexico – These specimens are from the Cerro de Mercado Mine, Durango, Mexico. The fluorapatite fluoresces a beautiful lavender color (best under midrange ultraviolet light). Some specimens contain opal and/or chalcedony which fluoresce a typical uranyl activated green color.

D) Quartz from Italy – I have added several lower priced specimens of fluorescent quartz from La Sassa, Italy. As of today, I think this is the very best-known locality for fluorescent quartz, with the quartz fluorescing a bright yellow under all three wavelengths. The area is now off limits to collectors. Some, if not all, specimens are chemically treated to remove CaCO3 so that the quartz can be seen.

Today I have added 38 new specimens to the United States Showcase Page of my website.  A description of some of the larger batches is provided below.

A) Travertine from Arizona – This travertine was collected from Seven Springs, Arizona in the 1980s.   When I purchased this material, it was of average brightness under longwave tube lighting.  With the advent of longwave LED flashlights this travertine comes alive with vibrant patterns and various shades of white to orange colors.  I photographed these specimens using a C8+ longwave LED flashlight, thinking that customers may want to add one of these specimens to their Arizona collections.  I do have these flashlights for sale if you would like to purchase one along with a specimen.

B) Multi-colored specimens from the Princess Pat mine in California –  I did a lot of collecting at the Princess Pat mine in the 1990s.   Specimens from this mine can contain, Scheelite, Hyalite, Caliche, Calcite, Powellite as well as others.  Some specimens can fluoresce in at least three colors, making them very aesthetic for collectors.

C) Aragonite from Arizona –  A friend of mine collected this aragonite in the 1990s.  He since told me that no large specimens can be found in this area anymore.  I love the fluorescent orange response from this aragonite.  I have several in my own collection.  

D) Turneaureite from Balmat, New York –  I decided to put up for sale a small batch of very hard to get turneaureite from the famous St. Joe #4 mine in Balmat, New York.   These specimens were collected in the 1990s.   I believe this mine has been re-named by another owner with collecting of specimens prohibited.  Because of this, large rich specimens of turneaureite from this mine are very hard to find and command high prices.

Today I am excited to offer for sale 34 specimens from a new mine in Arizona.  The mine is called the Green Envy (the Mine) and is a newly discovered locality for the rare lead silicate wickenburgite.  As you may recall, the Potter-Cramer mine is the Type Locality for wickenburgite, having been identified in 1968.  



So far, the fluorescent minerals that have been identified at the Mine are wickenburgite, willemite, calcite and caliche.   Like the Potter-Cramer mine, the wickenburgite can fluoresce anywhere from a Bazooka bubble gum pink to a crimson red.  Unlike the Potter-Cramer mine, the willemite fluoresces more of a creamy yellow green to a bright vivid green (hence the name Green Envy).  Under midrange and longwave ultraviolet light, the willemite can fluoresce yellow.  After exposure to shortwave ultraviolet light, the willemite exhibits a long duration sustained luminescence (aka phosphorescence).



Another difference between the Mine and the Potter-Cramer mine is that fluorescent orange-red calcite can be found with the fluorescent wickenburgite and willemite.  The Potter-Cramer mine did not have calcite but had significant amounts of fluorescent fluorite, which has yet to be found at the Mine.



So far, the Mine has been hand mined starting at the ground level.  The owners hope that if sales of these specimens go well, they can conduct further mining efforts.  We do not know how many more quality specimens the Mine will produce.   Polman Minerals will continue to hand pick each specimen for sale based on quality, richness and aesthetics.



A history of the Mine, as well as other information, can be found at the beginning of the Showcase page which has been dedicated to specimens from the Mine.  If you have any questions about this new locality in Arizona, please let me know.


I am currently photographing specimens for a new US Showcase.  As always, those on my email list will be notified the moment these new specimens are uploaded to my site.  

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