Database of luminescent minerals 

Ruby   (French name: rubis )

Chemical formula: See CORINDON

Family: Oxides and hydroxides

Status: NON APPR

Crystal system : Rhomboedric

Display mineral: OUI

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

Luminescence:

Longwave (365nm) picture

Rubis, UV LW,
Luc Yen, Vietnam,
Photo & Col. � G. Barmarin

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

No phosphorescence visible to the naked eye under any type of UV

Thermoluminescence: OUI

Comments:

Anyolite: corindon in zoïsite and pargasite rock mined in Tanzania.

Prilep rubies in the Republic of Macedonia appear to be a mixture of diaspore and corundum. They have the particularity of having an orange fluorescence in some areas and a red (classic) fluorescence in others with rarely also a yellow fluorescence at the top or center of the crystals. Orange fluorescence could be attributed to diaspore (Mn²⁺ replacing Al³⁺ with a charge compensation mechanism see diaspore) and ruby red (Cr³⁺ replacing Al³⁺). Margarite (green mica) included in corundum emits also a white to slightly greenish fluorescence (see bibliography below)

The slight almost linear displacement of the wavelength of the R1 and R2 lines with pressure (several GPa) makes it possible to measure colossal pressures with a certain degree of accuracy.

Activator(s) and spectrum:

Activator(s): Cr³⁺,

Peaks in the spectrum (nm):

Cr³⁺ replacing Al³⁺ : Lines at 692.8 (693), 694.3nm  (sharp R₁ and R₂ lines)

Cr³⁺ :  658.2 , 668.2 ,  674.1 , 680 (small lines)  

N-lines (Cr³⁺ pairs) : 705.8 , 712nm (small lines)

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

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Comments on spectrum and activators:

Activator: Cr³⁺ replacing Al³⁺ giving strong well known 2E->4A2 lines with long decay time;

Besides that, much weaker narrow lines present, which are connected with Cr-pairs and more complicated complexes (so called N-lines) (Tarashchan 1978).

Lifetime of the R-line: 3,6ms;

Best localities for fluorescence (*):

• Mogok Township, Pyin-Oo-Lwin District, Mandalay Region, Myanmar;
• Mundarara Mine (Mdarara), Longido, Arusha Region, Tanzania (Anyolite: rubis in zoïsite and pargasite)
• Kleggåsen Ruby Quarry, Froland, Aust-Agder, Norway (strong red LW);
• Hunza Valley, Gilgit, Pakistan;
• Mysore District, Karnataka, India;
• Froland, Norway;
• Fiskenæsset, Nuuk, Sermersooq, Greenland;
• Jegdalek (Jagdalek; Jagdalak; Jagdalik) Ruby Mine, Sorobi District, Kabol (Kabul) Province, Afghanistan;
• Sivec marble quarries, Sivec Mountain, Prilep, Republic of Macedonia (yellow, orange and red fluorescence sometime combined) ;

(*)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 ,
• Ultraviolet Light and Fluorescent Minerals, Th. Warren, S. Gleason, R. Bostwick, et E. Verbeek, 1995, ISBN 0-9635098-0-2 ,
• Luminescenza nel regno minerale, Guido Mazzoleni, fotografia Roberto Appiani, Libri Sandit, 2010, ISBN 978-88-95990-63-7 ,

Reference for luminescence on the Internet:

Mineralogical reference on the Internet:

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

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

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