What Are Three Minerals That Glow Under Ultraviolet Light?

By Staff WriterLast Updated April 09, 2020

Fluorite, calcite and scapolite are all examples of minerals that have been observed to glow under ultraviolet light. This property is referred to as fluorescence.

Only around 15 percent of all minerals have the ability to fluoresce in ultraviolet light. In order for a mineral to fluoresce, it must contain an “activator” impurity such as a metal cation or a rare earth element.

Fluorite was the first observed fluorescent mineral and it glows blue. Calcite has been observed to glow many different colors including red, blue, white, pink, green and orange. Scapolite has been observed to have a yellow glow under ultraviolet light.