Database of luminescent minerals 

CELESTITE

Chemical formula: SrSO₄

Family: Sulfates

Status: IMA-GP

Crystal system : Orthorhombic

Display mineral: OUI

Associated names (luminescent varieties, discredited names, synonyms, etc.): celestine, 

Luminescence:

Longwave (365nm) picture

Celestite, LW,
Agrigento Province, Sicily, Italy
Col. G. Barmarin; Photo: G. Barmarin

Shortwave (254nm) picture

Celestite, SW,
Agrigento Province, Sicily, Italy
Col. G. Barmarin. © Photo: G. Barmarin

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

Activator(s) and spectrum:

Activator(s): Pb²⁺, ST (Singlet-triplet)-Matière organique en impureté,  

Peaks in the spectrum (nm):

Pb²⁺ (?) : 435nm

Pb²⁺ (?) : 465 -475nm

Pb²⁺ (?) : 495 - 500nm

No spectrum yet

Comments on spectrum and activators:

Steady-state luminescence of celestine is characterized by broad bands, which are associated with adsorption of water-organic complexes (Tarashchan 1978).

Best localities for fluorescence (*):

• Floristella Mine, Enna, Enna Province, Sicily, Italy (fluo blue-white);
• La Grasta mine, Delia, Caltanissetta Province, Sicily, Italy (fluo blue-white);
• Agrigento district, Sicily, Italy (fluo blue-white);
• Racalmuto Mine, Racalmuto, Agrigento Province, Sicily, Italy (fluo blue-white);
• Machów mine, Tarnobrzeg, Podkarpackie, Poland (fluo blue-white LW+SW);
• Kelly Island Stone Co. Quarry, Clay Center, Ottawa Co., Ohio, USA (fluo orange);
• Clay Center, Ottawa Co., Ohio, USA (white LW+SW);

(*)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 ,
• The World of Fluorescent Minerals, Stuart Schneider, Schiffer Publishing, 2006, ISBN 0-7643-2544-2 ,
• Luminescence Spectroscopy of Minerals and Materials, M. Gaft, R. Reisfeld, G. Panczer, Springer Editor, ISBN: 10 3-540-21918-8 ,

Reference for luminescence on the Internet:

Mineralogical reference on the Internet:

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

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

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