Database of luminescent minerals 

PECTOLITE

Chemical formula: NaCa₂Si₃O₈(OH)

Family: Silicates

Status: IMA-GP

Crystal system : Triclinic

Display mineral: NON

Associated names (luminescent varieties, discredited names, synonyms, etc.): pecto-prehnite,  larimar, 

Luminescence:

Daylight picture

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

Shortwave (254nm) picture

PECTOLITE under 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

Triboluminescence: OUI

Thermoluminescence: OUI

Comments:

Luminescence of pectolite was noted in 1903 by Kunz and Baskerville.

In Mt-St-Hilaire, Pectolite could be confused with Makatite. The major distinguishing feature is the fluorescence. While not all makatite fluoresces, when it does it is moderate to strong blueish white or very pale greenish SW (and sometimes LW as well) and pectolite is fluorescing in pink or orange.

Activator(s) and spectrum:

Activator(s): Mn²⁺ , Cr³⁺,  Fe³⁺,  Nd³⁺,  

Peaks in the spectrum (nm):

Mn²⁺ replacing Ca²⁺ : 580 - 590 - 610nm ( Paterson NJ, USA sample, exc. 532nm)

Fe³⁺ : 722nm (Asbestos Canada sample, exc. 532nm)

Nd³⁺ : 867, 877, 881, 890, 918nm (Mt St Hilaire Canada sample, exc. 780nm)

OH : 652nm (Diako, Sandare District, Mali sample, very sharp peak, exc. 532nm) (Gaft)

Spectrum: Michael Gaft, Petah Tikva, Israel. Plot: Institute of Mineralogy, University of Vienna, Austria, with permission of the authors.

Comments on spectrum and activators:

Activator: probably Mn²⁺ substituting to Ca²⁺ (see Gorobets)

Best localities for fluorescence (*):

• Franklin, New Jersey, USA (orange SW+LW);
• Bergen Hill, NJ, USA;
• Lake County, California, USA;
• Jeffrey Quarry, Asbestos, Richmond County, Canada (bright orange LW);
• Poudrette quarry, Mont Saint-Hilaire, La Vallée-du-Richelieu RCM, Montérégie, Québec, Canada (magenta pink LW+SW);
• Langesundfjord, Larvik Plutonic Complex, Norway (yellowish white SW);
• Lower New Street, Paterson, Passaic county, New Jersey, USA (orange LW, pink SW);
• Ilimaussaq complex, Kvanefjeld, Narsaq, Kitaa (West Greenland) Province, Greenland;
• Wessels Mine, Hotazel, Kalahari manganese field (KMF), Northern Cape Province  South Africa (intense SW, weaker LW, associated with sugilite);
• Apatitovaya Mt., Khibiny massif, Kola peninsula, Russia (yellow-orange);
• Kookisvumchorr Mt, Khibiny Massif, Murmansk Oblast, Russia (orange-red LW)

(*)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 ,
• Luminescent Spectra of Minerals, Boris S. Gorobets and Alexandre A. Rogojine, Moscow, 2002 ,
• Mt St Hilaire Website: http://www.saint-hilaire.ca ,
• Handbook of Fluorescent Gems and Minerals, a practical guide for the gem and mineral collector, Jack de Ment, 1949 ,

Reference for luminescence on the Internet:

Mineralogical reference on the Internet:

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

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

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