Database of luminescent minerals 

mossottite

Chemical formula: See ARAGONITE

Family: Carbonates

Status: NR

Crystal system : Orthorhombic

Display mineral: OUI

Luminescence:

Daylight picture

Mossotite, Boccheggiano (Grosseto), Toscana, Italy; ;
Col. G.Barmarin; Photo: G. Barmarin

Longwave (365nm) picture

OL (365 nm)
Col. G.Barmarin; Photo: G. Barmarin

Shortwave (254nm) picture

Col. G.Barmarin; Photo: G. Barmarin

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

Comments:

Mossottite (Luca, 1858): a variety of Aragonite also known as strontio-aragonite

This variety can contain strontium up to composition (Ca_0.5Sr_0.5)[CO₃]

Activator(s) and spectrum:

Activator(s): Mn²⁺ ,

Peaks in the spectrum (nm):

Broad band peaking at 643nm, wave at 710nm

Col. G. Barmarin; Spectre: G. Barmarin

Comments on spectrum and activators:

The frequent occurrence of slight amounts of Strontium in aragonite was known during the time of Becquerel and he ascribed the luminescence to the presence of strontium. Later, Nichols confirmed the idea. Hence the name strontioaragonite for some specimen of very bright red fluorescing aragonite. 

Actually, strontium is not considered anymore as the activator responsable for the red fluorescence of aragonite and  Mn²⁺ is considered as the principal activator of this red fluorescence.

Best localities for fluorescence (*):

• Boccheggiano mines, Montieri, Grosseto Province, Tuscany, Italy;
• Niccioleta Mine, Massa Marittima, Grosseto Province, Tuscany, Italy;

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

Bibliographic reference for luminescence:

Reference for luminescence on the Internet:

Mineralogical reference on the Internet:

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

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

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