Emeralds and Black Light

[starsplitter]

Greetings Old Hands:

Okay, newbie question. Do emeralds flouresce? If so, is using black light a practical way to search beaches (at night I presume)? Does it work underwater?

Thanks.

Mark

[ScubaDude]

http://www.umaine.edu/HudsonMuseum/emer.php

Observation under ultraviolet (UV) light . Luminescence is emission of light without application of strong heating. Under long-wave UV light, emerald specimens from most localities show very weak florescence or none at all, but some show a strong red. Emeralds from Chivor, Colombia display a very weak red glow. Synthetic emeralds fluoresce dark or strong, dull red.