9
$\begingroup$

I have an intriquing question and, after searching whole Google, found almost no information. I simply don't know where else to look for answer and so I am asking you.

When I was a child, my parents travelled with me to Egypt and there, they bought me a little scarab beetle carved of some stone, about 5 cm long, 2 cm width and height. The stone is white-ish and translucent and glows green in dark (for some time). I only remember that it might (just a speculation) have been in Luxor in Alabaster workshop. But, according to online sources, Alabaster is not supposed to glow in dark, so what is it then? Can you please tell me?

Oh yea, right. Here are some images. The phosphorescence is really weak and doesn't last longer than 5-10min so I am sorry for a bad photo, just couldn't make it better.

DayLight01 Daylight 01

DayLight02 Daylight 02

DayLightWithFlash Daylight with flash

AgainstSun01 Daylight against sun 01

AgainstSun02 Daylight against sun 02

Fluorescence Phosphorescence

Well, it doesn't look like fluorite to me(according to Google images) but then again, I'm no mineralogist either so, maybe it's some form of it... what do you think?

Improve this question
$\endgroup$
2
  • $\begingroup$ Your description matches fluorite, you can see many pictures in Internet, and compare with your stone. To determine what it is precisely, you have to post a picture. EDIT. After the pictures are posted, I take back my suggestion: the key difference is that fluorite is not transparent, at least those pieces that I possess, and those which I can see on Internet. But in the dark, it looks exactly of the right color. There are very many fluorescent stones, look for example, here: galleries.com/minerals/property/fluotabl.htm $\endgroup$
    – Alexandre Eremenko
    Commented Apr 17, 2018 at 18:43
  • $\begingroup$ It may not be a mineral. May not be carved, either. $\endgroup$
    – Paul Kolk
    Commented Sep 7 at 19:45

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
2
$\begingroup$

I already suspected as much from experience but some quick searching has confirmed it, zinc sulfide is the only substance I can find that exhibits this kind of long lasting green phosphorescence. There is only one type of zinc sulfide mineral in nature that seems to mostly match the pictures, and that would be a form of white sphalerite such as cleiophane. White sphalerite is fairly uncommon and the luster and transparency seems a tad off for it so I suspect this is more likely some other substance doped or contaminated with zinc sulfide. Cleiophane source: https://www.mindat.org/min-8303.html Sphalerite source: https://www.mindat.org/min-3727.html

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
1
  • $\begingroup$ Zinc sulfide itself must be doped for phosphorescence to occur. It can be made artificially more easily. No need to carve stones if one can mold them. $\endgroup$
    – Paul Kolk
    Commented Sep 10 at 11:03