In 1852, Sir George coined the word fluorescence, named after fluorspar, more commonly known as fluorite, which is a highly fluorescent material. The History of Gemstone Fluorescenceįluorescence has been observed for years, but it was not until Sir George Stokes extensively documented this effect in relation to gemmology that it officially became part of the scientific lexicon. Quartz under LWUV showing oil inclusions.
If a material does not either fluoresce or phosphoresce, it is considered inert. Both fluorescence and phosphorescence can have varying strengths from very strong to weak. The Hope Diamond PhosphorescenceĪ famous example of a gemstone that strongly phosphoresces is the blue Hope Diamond, which glows a bright red for several minutes after being excited by short wave UV light. Phosphorescence, on the other hand, is a visible light that is emitted by a gem material after the original source of exciting radiation has been switched off.
The visible light emitted stops when the source of illumination is turned off. Two examples are fluorescence and phosphorescence.įluorescence occurs when a gem material is illuminated by radiation of shorter wavelengths with higher energy.Ī bag of cubic zirconia under LWUV with areas of blue fluorescence that highlights the presence of diamonds. When we use the term luminescence in gemmology, it generally refers to the term photoluminescence, which is the emission of a cold, visible light when a gem material (or general substance) is excited by light of a shorter wavelength. Most of us know about fluorescence in gemstones, but how many use it as part of their gemmological testing routine? Here, Gem-A gemmology tutor Lily Faber, FGA DGA EG, delves deeper into fluorescence and explains why it can be both enlightening and enjoyable for gemmologists.
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