I recently ordered a blacklight lamp (longwave) and now have ordered a shortwave lamp and goggles for finding gems and minerals. 2 books I have read about
this besides "The BlackLight Book" & "Forensic Light" are "Fluorescence: Gems and Minerals Under Ultraviolet Light" by: Manuel Robbins & "Ultraviolet Light & Fluorescent Minerals" by: Thomas S. Warren, Sterling Gleason, Richard C. Bostwick & Earl R. Verbeek.
For those people who go into mines looking for gold, the use of UV lights came possibly help you profit from other minerals or gems. Scheelite, an ore mineral that fluoresces bright blue is very valuable and found mostly out west, but other places also. Tungsten, found in scheelite, is valuable. Most metal detectors would not be interested in this, but people who combine rockhounding and gold prospecting might. I will defintely check out some local areas with my shortwave uv light when it arrives. Caution!! The shortwave uv light will damage your eyes if you look at it directly, hence the use of safety goggles. Longwave uv light does not require goggles, but I still would not stare at it directly. There is some type of old mine about 25 miles from here and I don't know what kind of mine it is or was, but hope to obtain permission to check it out with my light, if it is safe. Ordered my equipment from www.theblacklightshop.com There is also a website for study or info about fluorescence minerals called: The Fluorescent Mineral Society in Tarzana, California. type in those words in a search box on your pc and you will find it online. I thought somebody might be interested in this so I posted it. It's funny how getting interested in metal detecting can lead into so many other areas.
this besides "The BlackLight Book" & "Forensic Light" are "Fluorescence: Gems and Minerals Under Ultraviolet Light" by: Manuel Robbins & "Ultraviolet Light & Fluorescent Minerals" by: Thomas S. Warren, Sterling Gleason, Richard C. Bostwick & Earl R. Verbeek.
For those people who go into mines looking for gold, the use of UV lights came possibly help you profit from other minerals or gems. Scheelite, an ore mineral that fluoresces bright blue is very valuable and found mostly out west, but other places also. Tungsten, found in scheelite, is valuable. Most metal detectors would not be interested in this, but people who combine rockhounding and gold prospecting might. I will defintely check out some local areas with my shortwave uv light when it arrives. Caution!! The shortwave uv light will damage your eyes if you look at it directly, hence the use of safety goggles. Longwave uv light does not require goggles, but I still would not stare at it directly. There is some type of old mine about 25 miles from here and I don't know what kind of mine it is or was, but hope to obtain permission to check it out with my light, if it is safe. Ordered my equipment from www.theblacklightshop.com There is also a website for study or info about fluorescence minerals called: The Fluorescent Mineral Society in Tarzana, California. type in those words in a search box on your pc and you will find it online. I thought somebody might be interested in this so I posted it. It's funny how getting interested in metal detecting can lead into so many other areas.