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Where do you people find these fluorescent ammonites and other fluorescent fossils?


Megalodoodle

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Where do you all find these stunning fluorescent fossils? Or are most of them bought? Please tell me I am dying to get my hands on some!

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Fluorescence comes from the minerals that replace the original item or if the piece had said minerals in its make up to begin with.

Many fossils have Calcite and Agaonite to name just a couple of common ones that will flourese under UV light.

Turn your lights off and run a U V light over your present fossils. You will be surprised to find that you may already have some in your collection.

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The Fox Hills formation also has some.

 

 

 

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It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt

 

-Mark Twain

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1 hour ago, T. nepaeolicus said:

I will check but I doubt that I'm lucky enough to find some!

You may look closely, sometimes former color patterns are revealed by UV-light:

Kegelschnecke_KalloconusHendricksi_Zusammenstellung_b_E_kompr.jpg

Franz Bernhard

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2 hours ago, Pterygotus said:

Or maybe you mean pyrite ammonites :zzzzscratchchin:

 

I'm thinking OP is talking about Ammolites from Canada.

Since I don't see many people posting pictures of fluorescent ammonites under UV lights, since its not common.

Though certain rocks under UV light are amazing & more common subject vs ammonite's.

I want a Ammolite, They're beautiful !

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2 minutes ago, Abyss said:

 

I'm thinking OP is talking about Ammolites from Canada.

Since I don't see many people posting pictures of fluorescent ammonites under UV lights, since its not common.

Though certain rocks under UV light are amazing & more common subject vs ammonite's.

Although there are calcite fossils in the Lyme Regis area that are fluorescent under UV light. I have a few myself :)

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So fluorescent ammonite fossils are uncommon? And no I don’t mean ammolite, although it is beautiful! I’m lucky enough to own some myself (gotta brag on my collection ya know?).

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I was thinking that T. nepaeolicus was referring to nacreous look or iridescence. Original shell (aragonite) in ammonites and some other mollusks is nacreous. I don't think that aragonite fluoresces under UV, black light.

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On 2/9/2020 at 3:17 PM, T. nepaeolicus said:

Shortwave or long wave UV? What is the difference between the two anyway?

short wave will react to some gems and minerals that long wave will not. and vice versa. as demonstrated at my clubs annual show. short wave does not come as a simple flashlight. Field grade portables can run way over $100 USD. Long wave UV flashlights is what folks are using for finding the new Yooperlite rocks craze in Michigan along Lake Superior. 365 Nn. is best with a filter. it is also best to have yellow glasses to protect your eyes. For an indoor display we use a UV protecting glass like for picture frames to help photos from sunlight damage. The 395 Nn UV range lights are sold to help tract blood or pet urine stains and usually a low output LED for bightness in the dark and can often be found around $7-15 .

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Ammolite like mine down below are found in the Bearpaw Formation of Alberta, Canada. And there’s other colourful Ammonites found in Madagascar. If your talking about Ammonites.

8924CEE6-4762-4269-B3B9-05C78A707FC4.jpeg

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27 minutes ago, T. nepaeolicus said:

Ammolite is beautiful! Is it possible to find some yourself or are all the mines private?

@T. nepaeolicus You can find them yourself, not sure if all the mines are private, but you can find them out of the mines too. But in order to keep them you would need to apply for a disposition certificate. And agreed I love Ammolite too!!

 

http://www.tyrrellmuseum.com/research/fossils_law.htm

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I had always been intrigued by fluorescing minerals. The natural history museum in my home town had a nice display.  Many years later during a rather psychedelic college party I threw with my classmates I noticed that a Petoskey stone I had collected was glowing nicely. Next day I tried the black light on some other specimens. Some glowed, some didn't. Every once in a while I get out my lamp and test specimens for fluorescence, especially if they are from a new site.  

 

Also not all minerals fluoresce. Sometimes the mineral has to include minor impurities. A good example is some of my Ordovician material from Ohio. Most of the calcitic fossils do not glow. But there are some that often have a reddish tint that I believe is from volcanic ash minerals that are known from the strata. Whatever it added is enough to make the calcite give off a warm orange color.

 

Note that as mentioned short wave UV light can be harmful. Compared to long wave it is what burns your skin and fries your eyeballs. But it can sometimes produce a much more intense effect and sometimes what doesn't react under long wave will under short wave. There are even some minerals that give a different color under short versus long. Once you know how to be careful with short wave it is perfectly safe.

 

 

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