New Mexico Mineral Symposium — Abstracts

Twenty-three mineral species, previously unreported from New Mexico as fluorescent, have been identified in recent work at the Mineral Museum of the New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources (Table 1). Three of these, allophane, chabazite, and rhodochrosite, have responses that are highly esthetic and deserve to have a place in any collector's display. The total number of described fluorescent mineral species now known from New Mexico is up to 62.

This presentation is a product of an ongoing project to update the New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources' (NMBMMR) Circular 15 (Tables of fluorescent and radioactive minerals). Since 1947, the NMBMMR has continuously published tables of fluorescent minerals. These have been exhaustive lists that encompassed all known species of fluorescent as well as radioactive minerals. There have been three editions of Circular 15 that have periodically reviewed and revised these lists (Hersley, 1947; Sun, 1955; Stephenson, 1962). The current revision, to be issued as a Bulletin, will focus entirely on the fluorescent minerals of New Mexico. New to the report will be locality and collecting information, fluorescent responses, and illustrations of specimens in both plain and ultraviolet light. In addition to Circular 15, the other primary source for New Mexico fluorescent mineral information has been a 1987 New Mexico Geological Society (NMGS) article by Peter Modreski that includes a good treatment of the science of the fluorescent phenomena. Since the time of the publication of these reports, the study and enjoyment of mineral fluorescence has grown from a very specialized interest into one of wider appeal. The appearance of inexpensive and easily obtainable fluorescent lamps has allowed a great number of people to enjoy this phenomenon. It is hoped that this publication will help to increase awareness of the mineral riches of New Mexico and the beauty of fluorescent minerals.

The classic mineral producing localities of New Mexico are well known; however, their fluorescent counterparts have been relatively unexplored. It will come as no surprise that in most cases the localities are the same. Nevertheless, the fluorescent mineral collector should be aware of three localities in particular. First, the Magdalena district, known primarily for its apple-green smithsonite, is also a motherlode of fluorescent mineral species. Among the most prevalent and attractive of known fluorescent species found are allophane, anglesite, calcite, cerrusite, fluorite, hemimorphite, hydrozincite, powellite, scheelite, smithsonite, sphalerite, and willemite. Smithsonite from this area exhibits an extremely wide range of fluorescent responses. Specimens have been found that fluoresce white, yellow, electric pink, purple, blue, red, and green under short wave UV (257 nm). The long wave UV (365 rim) response is generally a dull yellow. Unfortunately, the famous apple-green specimens have not been found to produce a significant response. Second, the Picuris district, which includes the Harding pegmatite, is also an excellent source of fluorescent mineral specimens. The fluorescent species found include albite, andalusite, bertrandite, bityite, calcite, eucryptite, fluorapatite, fluorite, kyanite, orthoclase, phlogopite, scheelite, spodumene, uranophane, zircon, and zoisite. Third, is the Iron Mountain No. 2 district in Sierra County. This tungsten-magnetite skarn deposit has a number of interesting fluorescent mineral species that include calcite, fluorite, helvite, powellite, scheelite, smithsonite, willemite, and zoisite.

In addition to the fluorescent mineral species found within New Mexico, there are a large number of minerals from other localities around the world known to be fluorescent. Examples of these have not been found in New Mexico and should serve as a focus for the future fluorescent mineral collector.

Table 1: New record of minerals form New Mexico displaying a fluorescent response