The Horn Silver mine is located in the town of Frisco, Beaver County, Utah, and during its heyday in the late 1870s, was one of the richest silver producing mines in the world. This location is notable to fluorescent mineral collectors because it has also produced some of the most unique fluorescent sphalerite known. The sphalerite of the Horn Silver mine is brightly fluorescent, and often responds to UV in a multitude of colors including orange, pink, red, blue, green, yellow, teal and others! This material also shows bright and lasting phosphorescence. It also displays the property of triboluminescence, emitting orange flashes of light when scratched with a sharp object.
This is a classic example of fluorescent sphalerite from the Horn Silver mine. It contains grains of fluorescent sphalerite in a non-fluorescent limestone breccia. The brightest fluorescence/phosphorescence is seen under long wave UV. The size of this specimen is 63.7 x 47.6 x 39.0 mm, and it weighs 114 grams.
Enlarged views of same specimen. Mouse over scrolling images for UV wavelength information.