Zunyite, an Uncommon Fluorescent Beauty

Zunyite is an uncommon aluminum sorosilicate mineral that shows a soft, cherry red fluorescent response under short wave UV. Zunyite gets its name from the type location that it was first discovered at- The Zuni mine in San Juan County, Colorado. The specimen shown here features hundreds of small fluorescent zunyite crystals in a matrix of mostly non-fluorescent quartz. This example is from a classic location for this material- the Big Bertha mine in La Paz County, Arizona.

Above: Small octahedral zunyite crystals show deep red fluorescence under short wave UV (254nm). There are also grains of a second, unidentified fluorescent mineral present, that shows a bright orange response.

Same specimen shown under visible light. Brown zunyite crystals in a matrix on light-colored quartz. The size of this specimen is 55 x 36 x 35 mm, and it weighs 73 grams.