Database of luminescent minerals 

WOLLASTONITE

Chemical formula: CaSiO₃

Family: Silicates

Status: IMA-A

Crystal system : Triclinic

Display mineral: OUI

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

Luminescence:

Daylight picture

Shortwave (254nm) picture

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

Thermoluminescence: OUI

Comments:

From the White Knob quarry in the San Berardino Mts. CA, remarkable examples of orange or yellow-orange fluorescing wollastonite SW in blocky sections with orange-red fl. calcite SW and also red-fluorescing feldspar (species unidentified) of unusually high brightness. Information and help from Howard Brown and Lyman Hayes. Activator: Mn with Pb as coactivator?? Activator: probably Mn2+ substituting to Ca2+; also Fe3+ and Cr3+ found (Gaft).

In Jakobsberg, Sweden, wolastonite and margarosanite replace barysilite (see picture by Kjell Gatedal in bibliography )

Activator(s) and spectrum:

Activator(s): Mn²⁺ , Cr³⁺,  Fe³⁺,  

Peaks in the spectrum (nm):

Mn²⁺_I repl. Ca²⁺_I : 555-560nm

Mn²⁺_II repl. Ca²⁺_II  : 580nm  

Mn²⁺_III repl. Ca²⁺_III : 603, 640nm

Fe³⁺ repl. Si⁴⁺ : 690-700nm

Cr³⁺ : narrow R-lines at 720nm + 794 - 840nm broad band

Cr³⁺_II : 794nm

Cr³⁺_III : 840nm  

Comments on spectrum and activators:

Steady-state luminescence of wollastonite has been previously studied and luminescence of Mn²⁺, Fe³⁺ and supposedly Cr³⁺ has been proposed (Min’ko et al. 1978). (Gaft)

Best localities for fluorescence (*):

• Nobel Pit, Sterling Hill Mine, Ogdensburg, Sussex County, New jersey, USA;
• White Knob quarry, Lucerne Valley Limestone Province, San Berardino County, California, USA;
• Desert View mine, Holcomb Valley, San Bernardino County, California, USA;
• Desert View Mine, Fawnskin (Grout), Bear Valley District, San Bernardino Mts, San Bernardino Co., California, USA (SW orange +calcite SW red + aragonite SW bluish-white)
• Yuma, Yuma District, Yuma Co., Arizona, USA;
• Third find (i.e. Wollastonite in calcite associated with Baryte) Franklin Mine, Franklin, Sussex County, New Jersey, USA;
• Jakobsberg Mine, Jakobsberg ore field, Nordmark district, Filipstad, Värmland, Sweden;
• Älgfalls (Elgfall) mine, Kopparberg, Ljusnarsberg, Västmanland, Sweden (yellowish-white SW);
• Santa Fé Mine, Pichucalco, Pichucalco Municipality, Chiapas, Mexico;

(*)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 ,
• Franklin Website: http://franklin-sterlinghill.com ,
• Luminescenza nel regno minerale, Guido Mazzoleni, fotografia Roberto Appiani, Libri Sandit, 2010, ISBN 978-88-95990-63-7 ,
• 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=Wollastonite

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

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