Fluorescence: Gems and Minerals Under Ultraviolet Light

10/10

One of the best books on the market for those interested in the topic!

This is an outstanding effort in explaining and documenting the science involved in mineral fluorescence. It fills a void in the literature, bridging the gap between technical treatises and gem hunters' field notes. Robbins presents what is known about the causes of fluorescence in minerals, relating it to atomic structure and behavior in a clear fashion for the non-technical reader. The next chapters detail some of the classic localities and types of fluorescent minerals, with comprehensive summaries of their characteristics. A final chapter describes ideas for investigations into the nature of fluorescence that are easy enough to be carried out with simple equipment. This may be a valuable resource to secondary school Earth Science teachers. The book is written in an engaging fashion. It reveals many issues that are still unresolved. I wanted to grab my UV light and go collecting as soon as possible!

As a guide to everyone, who is interested in collecting or identifying various fluorescent minerals, this book is an invaluable tool! It basically covers almost every kind of fluorescent mineral that comes from the depths of the Earth, along with their mining locations. I would have given this book 5 stars, if not for a very serious flaw: nowhere in the book the reader is warned about the *EXTREME DANGER* posed by the shortwave ultraviolet light to the human vision!!! When operating an SW UV lamp, UV protection glasses *MUST BE WORN AT ALL TIMES* when the lamp is on by everyone in the room, where the lamp is operated! SW UV also can cause skin burns, so no one should put their hands in the beam of SW UV light! Longwave UV lamps are less dangerous, but the eye protection is strongly advised when operating them as well! Please stay safe!