Database of luminescent minerals 

ELBAITE

Chemical formula: Na(Li,Al)₃Al₆(BO₃)₃Si₆O₁₈(OH)₄

Family: Silicates

Status: IMA-GP

Crystal system : Rhomboedric

Display mineral: NON

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

Luminescence:

Daylight picture

TOURMALINE;
Photo and Copyright: James Hamblen
Site of the author
Used with permission of the author

Shortwave (254nm) picture

TOURMALINE;
UVSW
Photo and Copyright: James Hamblen
Site of the author
Used with permission of the author

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

No data

Comments:

Watermelon tourmaline of the Dunton Gem Mine shows luminescence of the red core in intense sky blue.

In practice, all Dunton Quarry gem elbaite fluoresce. Although worldwide elbaite does not usually fluoresce, several Maine localities have this characteristic, but few localities have such a high proportion of their elbaite that is fluorescent. Elbaite from Newry with lepidolite replacement may have a creamy yellow fluorescence in both short and long wave UV due to the lepidolite's fluorescence. (see: http://www.mindat.org/photo-188642.html )

Small crystals of achroite from Elba show a classic blue fluorescence under UV at 380nm and a very unusual strong yellow fluorescence under UV at 306nm.

The activator is unknown, but achroite contains Mn and a large amount of Mg (15-20%); however, many tourmalines can contain as much Mg without fluorescing.

Very small crystals embedded in quartz are only detectable by their strong fluorescence.

Other colored tourmalines (pink, yellow and green) from Elba sometimes show very weak yellow luminescence.

Activator(s) and spectrum:

No spectrum yet

Best localities for fluorescence (*):

• Dunton Gem Quarry, Newry, Oxford Co., Maine, USA;
• Stak Nala, Skardu District, Pakistan;
• Paprok, Kamdesh District, Nuristan, Afghanistan;
• Grotta Oggi near San Piero, Island of Elba, Italy;

(*)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 ,

Reference for luminescence on the Internet:

Mineralogical reference on the Internet:

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

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

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