Database of luminescent minerals 

SPHALERITE

Chemical formula: (Zn,Fe)S

Family: Sulfide

Status: IMA-GP

Crystal system : Isometric

Display mineral: OUI

Associated names (luminescent varieties, discredited names, synonyms, etc.): brunckite,  cleiophane,  schalenblende,  blende, 

Luminescence:

Daylight picture

SPHALERITE;
Franklin Mine, Franklin Mining District, Sussex Co., New Jersey, USA
Photo and Copyright:
Middleearthminerals.com
Used with permission of the author

Longwave (365nm) picture

SPHALERITE;
Franklin Mine, Franklin Mining District, Sussex Co., New Jersey, USA
UVLW, Photo and Copyright:
Middleearthminerals.com
Used with permission of the author

Shortwave (254nm) picture

SPHALERITE;
Franklin Mine, Franklin Mining District, Sussex Co., New Jersey, USA
UVSW, Photo and Copyright:
Middleearthminerals.com
Used with permission of the author

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

Triboluminescence: OUI

Thermoluminescence: OUI

Comments:

synonyme: blende ; brunckite = colloïdal sphalerite  ;

variety cleiophane: orange SW and LW;

Activator(s) and spectrum:

Activator(s): Mn²⁺ , Cu⁺,  

Peaks in the spectrum (nm):

Mn²⁺ replacing Zn²⁺ : large band peaking at 595 nm 

V_Zn-Cl^- : 450-460-470nm

Cu⁺-Ga³⁺, Cu⁺-In³⁺ repl Zn²⁺ : 640-670-675nm 

No spectrum yet

Comments on spectrum and activators:

Ed. Becqurel studied the decay of the phosphorescence of the different component (bands) of the spectrum of ZnS, proposing a number of mathemetical expression to interpret this phenomenon (1860).

One of the oldest studies on activator in zinc sulphide was made by H. Grune (1904). He noted that a small amont of manganese in ZnS produced an orange luminescence and triboluminescence in a very similar way as the natural mineral. Jorrissen and Ringe (1904) also studied zinc sulfide fluorescence.

The influence of the irradiation by a red light and infrared radiations upon the photoluminescence has been studied by C. Peirce (1906) under a variety of conditions.

Nichols found the presence of 48 bands/peaks in the spectrum coinciding in part with thallium, Erbium, Ytterbium. 

[after De Ment, 1949]

Best localities for fluorescence (*):

• Sterling Hill mine (Franklin), Ogdensburg, Sussex county, New jersey, USA;
• Massive sphalérite in Baryte matrix, Hot Springs, Madison County, North Carolina, USA;
• Horn Silver Mine, Frisco, San Francisco District (Frisco District), San Francisco Mts, Beaver Co., Utah, USA;
• Bisbee, Warren District, Mule Mts, Cochise Co., Arizona, USA;
• Luccheti Quarry, Carrara area, Tuscany, Italy (xl in marble fluorescing yellow);
• Hasselhojden, Grythyttan, Hällefors, Västmanland, Sweden;
• Las Manforas Mine, Camaleño, Icos de Europa, Cantabria, Spain (red LW);
• Sweet Home Mine, Mount Bross, Alma Mining District, Park Co., Colorado, USA (better known for his rhodochrosite crystals, sometimes sphalerite (orange LW) associated with fluorine (blue LW) comes from this mine)

(*)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=Sphalerite

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

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