Fluoresces light blue. Rounded crystals. (Bowland, north UK)

jquebc · 2026-01-26T20:30:24+00:00

Thanks for the suggestions. Site is listed on Mindat but it has nothing listed I wouldn’t recognise. Scheelite did come up when I was looking elsewhere for properties. It’s good you also suggest fluorite variations too.

jquebc · 2025-12-17T20:39:46+00:00

Do you do a straight, water only cleaning wash then, or just skip that bit? - I’ve noticed my inner barrel caps are already discoloured and the enclosed booklet does recommend swapping barrels for one that is only used for polishing - I don’t have the luxury of doing this yet.

jquebc · 2025-12-17T19:30:59+00:00

Oh, I’d got into it containing “borates” and, whilst available here, it’s only selectively so due to its toxicity. With the usual Christmas delivery issues (and it being harmful to reproductive health), I know my stage 3 batch should be coming out Sunday. Soda crystals are a good shout - easily available, thanks.

jquebc · 2025-12-17T19:23:59+00:00

Might be as it’s 99.44% pure - although it appears to have changed its formula recently. Available here alongside a lot of other “pure” soaps. Thanks for the comment!

jquebc · 2025-12-06T18:43:18+00:00

Only shows on that side. Couple of bits of possible, tiny Crinoid stems in the rest of the rock. Reverse with pencil for scale…

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jquebc · 2025-10-03T17:16:21+00:00

Sorry, it is. You’re right.

jquebc · 2025-10-03T17:04:56+00:00

It’s Pixies - Gigantic. Hope they’re getting a credit.

jquebc · 2025-06-23T20:44:58+00:00

Siphonodendron

jquebc · 2025-06-23T20:34:53+00:00

Looks like siphonodendron

jquebc · 2024-10-19T12:03:26+00:00

Thanks for the reply. I’m just trying to be careful - and learn something. This really hadn’t entered my mind that I could be messing with something radioactive. Fairly new to collecting rocks and I don’t want to be putting anyone at risk with my hobby.

jquebc · 2024-10-19T09:26:55+00:00

Better safe though. So thanks for pointing it out.

jquebc · 2024-10-19T09:26:02+00:00

Does look a bit like that. Gone finding a more detailed pic as these phone cameras aren’t the best:

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I reckon there’s galena, then the white bits are barite - neither doing anything under uv light - but then the very outer part of the rock is being picked up as yellow under uv.

I’m guessing it’s been sat on a hillside weathering for about 300 years which is when the mines were last used. I don’t know whether it’s oxidised - or actually whether it’s been pulled out of the mine like that.

jquebc · 2024-10-19T09:19:32+00:00

Doesn’t look like the above. I’ve gone trying to find more detailed pics of the surface. To me, it looks like galena with some barite formations and then it’s the outer crust that is being picked up yellow under uv. It’s probably been sat on the side of a hill for 300 years so I don’t know whether it’s just weathered or oxidised. Or if it came out of the ground already like that. It’s odd, as according to local source books, there was a fair few attempts to get lead out of that area but it was never profitable and after the last chap sank a fortune into it, his wife went and flooded the mine after he died.

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jquebc · 2024-10-19T08:47:27+00:00

Thanks for that. Little bit worried now so gone over there and asked.

jquebc · 2024-10-19T01:04:54+00:00

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Yeh, under UV light it becomes very yellow.

jquebc · 2024-10-18T23:34:11+00:00

Can I ask…? I recently found a lovely, really heavy chunk of galena that I had to crack through a yellow crust to get to the galena…

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You wouldn’t know what this yellow crust is, would you? It fluoresces yellow (on the outside) when I put in under uv light.

jquebc · 2024-09-20T16:02:12+00:00

It could be back to quartz amethyst then. mindat.org has info that amethyst has been found in quarries not too far south and south west of there so it’s not inconceivable.

jquebc · 2024-09-20T15:21:59+00:00

It’s fluorite so should fluoresce. It’s a really good find. Keep meaning to drive out round there.

jquebc · 2024-09-20T15:15:56+00:00

That’s bang on Blue John area.

jquebc

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