Fluorescent Calcite/Willemite — Sterling Hill Mine, Franklin, New Jersey

A shortwave-fluorescent specimen from the Franklin-Sterling Hill mining district of New Jersey — arguably the single most famous fluorescent mineral locality on the planet, and the type locality for over a dozen species found nowhere else. This piece shows the calcite/willemite combination this district is renowned for worldwide: brilliant red-orange fluorescing calcite set against vivid green-fluorescing willemite under shortwave UV, a color contrast that has made Franklin/Sterling Hill material the benchmark against which all other fluorescent mineral localities are measured.

Photos were taken under a 70W shortwave (SW) lamp. Fluorescent response is highly dependent on lamp wattage, wavelength, and bulb condition — results under your own UV light may appear more subdued or more vivid depending on your setup. In daylight, this specimen presents as unassuming calcite/willemite matrix; the fluorescent show only appears under UV.

Specimen Details:

Approx. specimen weight (g): 576 grams

Approx. specimen size (mm): 90mm x 80mm x 50mm