This is a brightly fluorescent and phosphorescent rosette of flat, bladed, selenite crystals from Las Salinas de Otuma, Paracas, Pisco, Ica, Peru. Collected from a large evaporative salt mine located 130 feet below sea level, near Otuma village, 16 miles south of Pisco, this specimen is very similar in appearance and fluorescent response to the selenite rosettes from the notable Red River Floodway location in Manitoba Canada.
As seen in the above photograph, taken under long wave UV (365 nm), this selenite shows a bright cream/white fluorescent response.
As shown in the gallery of images above, this selenite from Pisco, Peru, is brightly fluorescent and phosphorescent under both long and short wave UV. The upper row shows fluorescence (left) and phosphorescence (right) under long wave UV. The lower row shows fluorescence (left) and phosphorescence (right) under short wave UV. Click on the individual images for a larger view.
Under visible light, this selenite has a beautiful golden/orange color, and makes a striking display specimen. The selenites from Pisco, Peru have a very similar appearance to the selenite rosettes from the Red River Floodway in Manitoba, Canada, except that the Peruvian selenite has a distinctly more golden color. The size of this specimen is 71 x 56 x 41 mm, and it weighs 80 grams.