Fluorescent minerals

Submitted: Saturday, Mar 08, 2008 at 18:22
ThreadID: 55338 Views:1557 Replies:3 FollowUps:1
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Is anyone out there a collector of fluorescent minerals?

I'm about to go searching in northern and western NSW and pretty well anywhere in SA - especially in the Flinders.

As a beginner (this will be my first trip with UV lamps), I'd really appreciate any info on good places to go. I'll even go back along the Anne Beadell if there's anything good out there! Perhaps there might be at Emu!.

Thanks...

Graham Fraser.
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Reply By: MintabiePete (NSW) - Saturday, Mar 08, 2008 at 19:03

Saturday, Mar 08, 2008 at 19:03
You never know what you will find if you look in areas where opal has been found , maybe even find a few gems that have been missed in established precious stones fields . Trouble with even in the established opal fields they had the black lights in the noodling machines and donewell for some time over the years . I have only been connected with opal , but I can recall when going out at night looking for floaters that might lead towards a big find , you had to be carefull if when you saw something that flouresced, that it never moved , because if it did it may well be a scorpion , as they used to react under the light very similar to opal, and many a time I have heard of miners vacating the noodling machine when someone thought they had a good find only to find something entirely different :)

Good luck in theFlinders Ranges Graham , I was always going to try that area myself , but never ever did :)
AnswerID: 291653

Follow Up By: DCTriton - Sunday, Mar 09, 2008 at 00:35

Sunday, Mar 09, 2008 at 00:35
All scorpions native to Oz fluoresce under a black light... The upshot to accidentally finding one is that although a nasty sting may follow, no mainland scorpions have a fatal sting - or so the Army taught us anyway...
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FollowupID: 557043

Reply By: Member - Barnesy - Sunday, Mar 09, 2008 at 02:43

Sunday, Mar 09, 2008 at 02:43
I'm no expert but up around Arkaroola there is a lot of uranium. They mined it there during wwII during developmental phases of the nuclear bomb and it was the original source for the Beverly (honeymoon? can't remember) mine (it eroded off the mountains and deposited on the plains).

You would have to be careful where you went because there are national parks, nature reserves and mining companies there. None of them would take kindly to people taking souvenirs. There may be some vacant crown land around somewhere you could go.

Barnesy
AnswerID: 291716

Reply By: Member - Fizz (NSW) - Monday, Mar 10, 2008 at 20:12

Monday, Mar 10, 2008 at 20:12
Thanks to those who replied - I'm surprised that not more members are into this rewarding activity. Minerals that glow under UV or black light are very beautiful.
AnswerID: 291985

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