New Mexico Mineral Symposium — Abstracts

On any one of my various road trips, I have wondered if I've missed any interesting fluorescent mineral displays. There has been precious little information as to their localities, with the notable exception of the Fluorescent Mineral Society member Bruce Naylor, who several years ago compiled a general listing of fluorescent mineral displays. My presentation will attempt to update and add to his work for the western United States and specifically for the Rocky Mountain region. It will provide information for the traveler with an interest in fluorescent mineral displays: their location, scope, approximate size, wavelengths of light, and other pertinent information.

In my research I have found that many of the better displays are located outside of the major cities in small, somewhat isolated towns. For instance some of the best displays I have seen (judged mainly for quality of specimens and in some cases for educational value) include the South Dakota School of Mines Museum in Rapid City, the Badlands Petrified Gardens in Kadoka (both in South Dakota), the Adams County Historical Museum in Brighton, Colorado, and right here in Socorro, New Mexico, at the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Mineral Museum. This of course does not preclude outstanding displays at many larger museums and universities throughout the region.

In addition to permanent displays, I will also include information on several major gem and mineral shows with sizable fluorescent mineral displays, including those held in Tucson, Denver, and the California Mineral Federation shows.
 

References:

1. Naylor, B. I., 1999, Fluorescent mineral display list: UV waves: Fluorescent Mineral Society, v. 29, no. 4, pp. 13-21.