Midwave UV // This Light Changes So Much!

Midwave UV lights are outstanding! I cannot believe the colors produced by different calcites with it.
Generally speaking, UV lights really open up a whole additional aspect of the hobby which has been off limits in the past due to how expensive the lights have been, but recently, they have really became much more affordable. The midwave light shown here is $100, as an example.
Stimac Engineering - www.perkyboxes.com
The Fluorescent Mineral Society - uvminerals.org/
The Fluorescent Minerals Facebook Group - / fluorescentminerals
Thanks for watching!
Be sure to check out my website at currentlyrockhounding.com for tons of additional rockhounding resources and much more.
Did you enjoy this video and find it to be informative? You can help ensure that more videos just like this get made by supporting the project on Patreon. / currentlyrockhounding
#CurrentlyRockhounding #Fluorescentrocks #UVRocks

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Did you enjoy this video and find it to be informative? You can help ensure that more videos just like this get made by supporting the project on Patreon. www.patreon.com/currentlyrockhounding

[@dbomber69]

The rock at 3:25 has a face on it! Watch the video slowed down and you will see a face. Clearly.

[@sstimac]

Great video. Thanks for bringing fluorescence to the masses and for the kind words about my lights.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Thank you for watching! I have really been enjoying learning about this whole unseen world of fluorescence. I really cannot wait for spring and to be able to re-visit some of the underground mines around here with my new lights, I just need to figure out a nice way to carry them all in.

[@sstimac]

@@CurrentlyRockhounding That's an excellent point. I'll source holsters for the lights. Give me time.

[@cliffmiller1021]

Your enthusiasm is highly contagious. What can I say that everyone else hasn't? You really sparked my interest on the mineral composition in general. I recognize the copper greens and iron reds in most of my collection, but there are so many more combinations of minerals that can produce similar effects rooting them out can be a task. I love a good light show and you didn't disappoint today. Woot on the win!

[@kerickwalters2749]

Far out!!! This introduces a whole new facet to the gem of rockhounding

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

It gives me a whole other level of appreciation for the rocks and minerals I have collected.

[@aaryngulledge5681]

Super cool calcites! Regarding what causes the very rare blue fluorescence in these "Terlingua-type" calcites, there has been a fair amount of scientific research to identify what is causing it with the best answer I've found being "organics". These organics may have become absorbed after formation, meaning that only the crystals very close to the organic subtance would have this blue color where others would have the pink/orange that is common with Mn2+. No telling without further scientific research, but it's what makes rocks, crystals, and gems so cool! BTW, I'm not a geologist, but was a chemist by training.

[@sandmaker]

Lots of fun watching electrons getting excited. There is a big difference. Thanks for exposing us to it.😊

[@kenwin5845]

UV is so much fun. Neat that both of you have a long and short to go out hunting with.

[@stephent.4836]

I've noticed that many calcium minerals are really good under midwave, with calcite being the most common of course. Fluorapatite, agrellite, powellite, and some scheelites are really good under midwave. Fluorapatite in particular really seems to love midwave - I've found that a bunch of my fluorapatites that barely react under shortwave or longwave are actually pretty bright under midwave. I believe the violet/magenta/pink colors in calcite under midwave are from a combination of manganese and cerium activators. Varying percentages of each activator during the crystals' growth determines which end up being violet and which are pink. I have some calcite from Pennsylvania with mixed purple and magenta MW fluorescence in the same vein.

[@sstimac]

My Fluorapatites are spectacular under MW, for sure. Some look nice under SW, but MW is leagues better.

[@cactusmann5542]

I knew about the wavelengths, sadly all my pockets can do is shortwave..

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I think these lights will continue to come down in costs and or get better in the coming years.

[@sstimac]

As Jared said, the prices will only decrease. I did my best to keep these lights at $100 and not a dollar more. I am working on a design now that should bring the cost down even more. They'll be a smaller form factor, but the price will be phenomenal. I'm not sure when they'll be released yet.

[@mrimc]

​@@sstimac Fantastic! Thanks for your efforts.

[@firearmsaddictloveguns]

Congratulations on the win. Those are some cool lights. I have thought about getting some for checking creek rock in the summer time.

[@walternead70]

Gr8 video Jared, my grandfather had the 'MINERAL LIGHT' & micro specimens, having enjoyed this aspect of rockhounding since 1960. now using fluorescent tube UV for display, small portable UV flash lights to find specimens. Another dimension for RHs to enjoy... regret. Really enjoy your videos.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Thank you very much!

[@mikedodge3910]

I absolutely love the UV content. Thank you, Jared

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I'm glad you're enjoying it.

[@jimhunter3107]

Thanks for this. Calcite started me on my mineral journey into conscoiusness . I wasnt aware of the different uv lights . That said time to get a mid wave light looking forward to go through my many types of calcite . Ive got some boulders that im carving bowls out of produced lots of others so it will be cool to see what they look like under different light waves. Tried the the most common uv light years ago but never new there were other uv lights . Thanks for passing on the knowledge and links.

[@dawnwilkinson8717]

Well done on your win. The different lights on the rocks are really interesting. The calcite, bottom row middle, looks like burning coals in a real fire. It looks like a magic trick. Thank you for sharing.

[@dustinfindsrocks]

Very illuminating video! I enjoyed seeing the differences.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

:)

[@laurafolsom2048]

Your photos are great!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Thank you.

[@barbarazimmermann5342]

Thanks for an interesting video - your enthusiasm makes it fun to watch!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Thank you!

[@Ontario_Rockhound]

Awesome stuff, I got a short wave this year to accompany my long wave, still want to get a mid wave just very expensive as the good ones are US made and import fees are steep.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Having a couple of lights is really spectacular, isn't it? I find myself consistently impressed by UV minerals.

[@Ontario_Rockhound]

@CurrentlyRockhounding yes, it's also helped me collect minerals I wouldn't have been able to find regularly.

[@bhutjolokia6990]

Awesome video Jared!! Now I have to add another light🤣😂 I have short wave and long but it also has a higher real blue light but that last only shows on some of the orange like afghanite. 👍😎👻🌶️

[@brianholcomb940]

Wow, so awesome! Some of they look like molten lava in color! Thanks for sharing!

[@BillyBoulder]

This is terrible! 😎. Now I want another gadget! I’ve got Long & Short now l just HAVE to get a mid. I love this hobby. It satisfies my need for more tool. Keep it up, I love your approach and your videos are always spot on.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I'm glad you liked it! The lights really are very impressive.

[@patriciamckean4186]

Oh my, beauty revealed. Try it out on other types of rocks. Love your comparison videos. I found some green here in sw Arizona.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Thank you!

[@cosmicbackwoods]

I camp and rockhound at the same river here in Texas and have for like 15 years and I thought id found everything there was to find until one night when I went on a walk with my uv light and found large agatized coral all over the place. during the day they look like average river rocks so I never noticed lol. I need to slice some open

[@gator83261]

Very cool.

[@tombsandtemples]

Awesome video, as per ususl. Though i must say im confused. Admittedly, i have nearly zero mireral identification skills, yet the one i thought that i knew for sure was calcite. My "calcite" is always bright lime green. Wtf?? Do i lnow nothing again?

[@robinengland4948]

I never new that was 1 rock that UV that way. I'm going to have to go through mine and see fire myself. Learn something new every day

[@sstimac]

I'm not aware of any calcite that fluoresces lime green, but that doesn't mean it can't or doesn't. There's quite a bit of aragonite and chalcedony that fluoresces green.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I don't know of any calcite that glows green under UV light, but as others have said here, it's not impossible.

[@megalotherium]

I've always liked calcite. The refractive properties are interesting to me.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

My appreciation for it has really started to grow.

[@samurai6817]

Calcite is an interesting stone as you can get double refraction and is the premise of "stealth camo" or "invisibility cloak". It would have to be crushed down and woven into a textile (think 3M)

[@sboydrocks9412]

Very helpful and quite inspiring- I see I have a lot of fun researching coming up while I have some end of year holidays. Thank you Jared and let you know what happens.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I'm glad you liked it.

[@MadelineRose-ep7fj]

Beautiful perspectives. Makes me wonder what different animal species may see. Owls, cats, raccoons, deer--if only they could tell us!😊

[@robbyschannel9258]

Soooo neat you won a giveaway when you do them, and on a subject you will produce such good content. Love it Jared. Would love to see the eggs I got from you in a giveaway in that midwave light. Got pics coming of them after the polish. got like 10 cabs I'm prepping tomorrow so might be a bit.

[@largent45]

That's amazing! I thought that midrange was pretty much just a wasted band of UV. But I was thinking about the 295 range, which is when you are talking about fluorescent minerals! but that's really cool! And you said your lights are in the 300+ range? I'm glad you joined the fluorescent minerals society so that maybe you can get your questions answered and can depart that knowledge on to us! Thanks Jared! It really is fascinating all the different spectrums of light!

[@sstimac]

This midwave flashlight emits 310nm light.

[@largent45]

@@sstimac that's awesome!

[@Mrjoshuasjourneyzzz10420]

Yupp!!!

[@steveegbert7429]

Congrats on the light win! I know those things aren't cheap for good ones. I wonder if the different color in your same road cut calcites might have something to do with a slight difference in crystal structure, causing somewhat of a light splitting prism effect.

[@sstimac]

I think mine are currently the highest quality at the lowest price. I don't think you'll find better at $100 at this time. In regards to the different colors we see these fluoresce. This is not due to reflections off crystal planes, it's actually varying concentrations of activator elements like manganese, lead, and cerium.

[@randywl8925]

If you only had one light .. ...what wavelength would you pick? Fun video. It would be fun to try putting a polarizing camera filter over the flashlight....... It might only dim it. .....but who knows.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I would start with a filtered 365nm uv light. Hmmm I have one of those filters. I will test it out.

[@randywl8925]

@@CurrentlyRockhounding Thanks. I have a circular polarizer too. I haven't used mine much since... ....They took my Kodachrome away, Oh yeah.

[@jak3589]

That was crazy. Will a regular black light work.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Unfortunately, a regular black light will not produce these results.

[@kzbay1685]

Have you tried combining 2 or 3 different wavelength lights together at the same time? Does that have any different effect?

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I have and if you have a rock that produces different colors or has a mineral that shows well under one spectrum and not the other, you can get them both to react under the two lights.

[@pamelaklemp5615]

I'm curious about the times of the day... wonder if each rock would emit different color patterns or color intensity during different hours within a 24 period? I've heard that some rocks actually have time-frames when they are more (or less) actively intense. Might that be true? If so, that's a perfect experiment for you to undertake and photograph them. Maybe a good magazine would feature your research findings about it too.

[@sstimac]

Rocks aren't aware of what time it is. Fluorescent minerals respond to the wavelengths of UV light. Even daylight reactive minerals like some hyalite from Zacatecas or fluorite from England respond to the quality of UV light regardless of what time it is. Although, you could probably argue that the color shifts around dawn and dusk would make the intensity of their daylight fluorescence less than it would be under other conditions.

[@pamelaklemp5615]

@@sstimac Thanks for your informative reply. Interesting about the possibility of dawn and dusk on them. I had read somewhere something like that regarding the different moon phases affecting some rocks and crystals. I'm too uninformed to have a knowledgeable opinion about it being a newbie to all of it. That said, it's all fascinating to me. I can see how it becomes so addictive to so many people who appreciate the natural beauty of the Earth's many treasures.

[@sstimac]

@@pamelaklemp5615 No, moon phases don't impact rocks at all.

[@workoutmusicvideos92]

I find the good old-fashioned fluorescent black light works way better than all the LED black lights. It’s not even close. Like you said, the bright ones tend to be way too much

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

How many modern filtered LED UV lights have you tried out? What kind or brand of filtered lights do you think are best?

[@sstimac]

This simply does not hold up to fact. Old fashioned black lights don't produce light in the correct wavelength nor are they filtered. If you're relying on an unfiltered 395-405nm light to view fluorescent minerals, you're hugely missing out.

[@VersaiOnline]

Lol I was about to ask what determines a calcite's fluorescence as you admitted you have no idea. I wonder if the fluorescence would persist when crushed to dust or dissolved in an acid?

[@sstimac]

The fluorescence remains when calcite is crushed. In fact, there is concrete from Franklin, NJ that's made with fluorescent sand and it's s awesome. It does not retain fluorescence after being dissolved in acid.

[@spetkovsek57]

No, I'm not going to go buy another light. I'll just have to settle for the long and short waves that I have. Pretty cool though.

[@hereiamu1]

If you could only get one light which would be best, mid wave?

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I think starting out with a filtered longwave 365nm light is great and generally, they will be more affordable.

[@sstimac]

As a manufacturer, I'd say longwave, shortwave, and then midwave.

[@hereiamu1]

@@CurrentlyRockhounding Thanks that what I was thinking

[@hxcdanny3x]

from franklin nj?

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

What?

[@hxcdanny3x]

the norbergite, you mentioned it was from New Jersey. I was wondering if it was from Franklin, NJ, it is a very very famous fluorescent mineral area

[@sstimac]

​@@hxcdanny3xYes, that Norbergite is from the Braen quarry in Franklin, NJ.

[@Naomi_Boyd]

Now you just need a spectrum analyzer and you can do some real science. You could map the emission spectrum of fluorescing minerals the same way the Bunsen and Kirchhoff did with burning elements. 🤓

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

That would be fun, but I think they are pricey.

[@Naomi_Boyd]

@@CurrentlyRockhounding I think Kirchhoff built his own with a prism and a microscope.

[@jeremyinthewild]

It's too bad there isn't a light that allows you to change the wavelength on the fly with a dial

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

That would be nice but I think we are a long ways off from that.

[@Mrjoshuasjourneyzzz10420]

There sould more cusswords in your vidz,,,... experanationality of that!!!!+++