Database of luminescent minerals 

WITHERITE

Chemical formula: BaCO₃

Family: Carbonates

Status: IMA-GP

Crystal system : Orthorhombic

Display mineral: NON

Luminescence:

Daylight picture

Whitherite, Cave-in-Rock Sub-District, IL-KY Fluorspar District, Hardin Co., Illinois, USA;
Photo and Copyright: Middle Earth Minerals
http://middleearthminerals.com
Used with permission of the author

Shortwave (254nm) picture

Whitherite, Cave-in-Rock Sub-District, IL-KY Fluorspar District, Hardin Co., Illinois, USA;
UV SW White. Photo and Copyright: Middle Earth Minerals
http://middleearthminerals.com
Used with permission of the author

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Phosphorescence (in the common sense of the term) observable with the naked eye:

Comments:

Witherite was mentionned in 1903 by Kunz and Baskerville.

Flash of yellow-orange light before white phosphorescence (Manuel Robbins)

Activator(s) and spectrum:

No data

Peaks in the spectrum (nm):

Eu²⁺ replacing Ba²⁺ : Peak at 390nm  

peak at 480 nm (unknown)

Col. G. Barmarin; Spectre: G. Barmarin

Comments on spectrum and activators:

Witherite was studied by steady-state luminescence spectroscopy and trivalent REE, such as Gd, Dy and Eu, have been found (Gorobets and Rogojine 2001).

Excitation by CW laser with 532 and 780 nm revealed several luminescence lines and one broad band.

IR lines under 780 nm excitation may be evidently ascribed to Nd3+.

The band is somewhat similar to orange emission of barite ascribed to Ag+ luminescence center. (Gaft)

Best localities for fluorescence (*):

• Cave in Rock, Hardin County, Illinois, USA;
• Hexham, England;
• Nentsberry Haggs Mine, Nent Valley, Alston Moor District, Cumbria, England, UK;

(*)The data are not exhaustive and are limited to a few remarkable localities for fluorescence

Bibliographic reference for luminescence:

• The Henkel Glossary of Fluorescent Minerals, Dr. Gerhard Henkel, Published by the FMS, 1989 ,
• Fluorescence: Gems and Minerals Under Ultraviolet Light, Manuel Robbins, 1994, Geoscience Press, ISBN 0-945005-13-X ,
• Luminescence Spectroscopy of Minerals and Materials, M. Gaft, R. Reisfeld, G. Panczer, Springer Editor, ISBN: 10 3-540-21918-8 ,
• Luminescent Spectra of Minerals, Boris S. Gorobets and Alexandre A. Rogojine, Moscow, 2002 ,
• Handbook of Fluorescent Gems and Minerals, a practical guide for the gem and mineral collector, Jack de Ment, 1949 ,

Mineralogical reference on the Internet:

  http://www.mindat.org/show.php?name=Witherite

  http://webmineral.com/data/Witherite.shtml

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