Ruby and UV Lighting

BurntBear

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Ok, I've been racking my brain the past few days. I had a request from fellow TN'er, Jim_in_Idaho requesting to see some of the Rubies I've posted under long-wave ultraviolet lighting. Thanks Jim...that was not an easy task...lol.

I quickly came to the realization that standard glass camera lenses don't capture the fluorescence that you see in person. Internet resources recommend Quartz or Fluorite lenses that are astronomical in price. So, after hours of research and not finding a remedy; I decided to take a step back and think for a second. What filters UV lighting on a daily basis? I grabbed my high-definition, impact resistant motorcycle sunglasses and placed them over the camera lens....

:laughing9:

This is the result captured at 380nm:

125_3450.JPG

This is the same specimen under standard incandescent lighting:

125_3417.JPG

Here is a rough crystal specimen:

125_3451.JPG

And under regular lighting:

125_3370.JPG

More to come very coon! Thanks for looking! -Luke
 

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CoinandRelicMan

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Some pretty gem pictures there B.B. !
 

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BurntBear

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Thank you! If it wasn't for you all, who would I show my funky hobby to? :dontknow:
 

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Jim in Idaho

Jim in Idaho

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Wow, Luke...awesome pics. That UV REALLY lights-up those rubies. Absolutely awesome. Great idea on the motorcycle goggles, too.
Jim
 

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BurntBear

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Thanks Jim for the recommendation! I will be showing more photos as I conduct more tests. Fun stuff! -Luke
 

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DDancer

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Excellent out of the box thinking :thumbsup: Not many people prospect or ever look at their collections under UV. Its a facetnating experience ;) With UV diodes now available I'm surprised more people don't give it a go. I've never considered taking pictures and that filter idea is pretty cool~ and inexpensive.
 

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BurntBear

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Thanks! These UV flashlights will be my newest prospecting tool! -Luke

"facetnating"....I might steal that one, lol.

Here is a good article for anyone interested in UV related info:

http://uvminerals.org/fms/spectrum
 

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Jim in Idaho

Jim in Idaho

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Luke, I think on the sapphire you're mostly seeing the reflection of the UV light. From all I've read, the only sapphires that fluoresce are from Sri Lanka. Most sapphires don't fluoresce, but a few do. Green never does. Orange rarely, but will occasionally. The rest are just pot luck. Pink will fluoresce strong orange-red. Boy, though, those rubies are sure flashy...LOL
All the best,
Jim
 

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BurntBear

BurntBear

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I was reading an article about that. Certain localities have fluorescence uniquely their own. I believe your right about the reflection and now I know what I'm seeing, lol. -Luke
 

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BurntBear

BurntBear

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The sunglasses I'm using have a UV400 filter. It's working well and seems to be pretty accurate in displaying the color that I'm seeing in person. The photos are somewhat darker overall than the fluorescence that I'm seeing, but I'll keep working with it until I achieve the ideal light/color representation.
 

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BurntBear

BurntBear

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I sold my bike a few years ago, but I'll be getting another. I had a nice little Suzuki Savage with about 3,000 miles on it.
 

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Jim in Idaho

Jim in Idaho

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BurntBear said:
I was reading an article about that. Certain localities have fluorescence uniquely their own. I believe your right about the reflection and now I know what I'm seeing, lol. -Luke
Click to expand...
LOL....I did the same thing in Wyoming this summer. I kept seeing this red color on stones. Took me awhile to figure out I was seeing the UV reflected on the smooth surface of the stones.....sure was a disappointment....ha
Jim
 

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hvacker

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BB, I've got a HD Sturgis edition shovelhead from 1981 I've owned for a long time. Like Bob Seger, "I'm still running."
 

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BurntBear

BurntBear

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I bet that got the heart pounding a few times! I need to get one of these lights in a single bulb setup and run lithium batteries. This thing kills batteries. :BangHead:
 

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Jim in Idaho

Jim in Idaho

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So, what brand and model are you using? One BIG thing in favor of LED UV is size and weight. My light is a dual 18 watt unit...an 18 watt bulb for each LW and SW, and independently switchable. It contains a power supply to convert the 12v battery power to high voltage for the fluorescent bulbs. It's big, heavy, and takes a lot of power. On the plus side, it lights up rocks 10' away, or more. I use NICad packs....10 batteries in each pack. If I use both lights, I get about 1 1/2 hours of runtime. I put the light on a handle, like a metal detector, but it has to have shoulder straps supporting it...it's much heavier than a detector coil...about 5 lbs.
Jim
 

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BurntBear

BurntBear

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It has 9 bulbs, made by Blacklight Master. It's awesome with fresh batteries. It takes 3 AAA's. Of course, this was to capture photos, not prospect; and now I have to think about all that!

That sounds pretty amazing. I'm a little curious to what amount of exposure could be potentially harmful to us handling these lights.
 

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