Wyoming Rocks
- Wyoming Rocks: Unveiling Nature’s Neon Palette!
Hey fellow rock enthusiasts! Get ready to dive into the mesmerizing world of Wyoming’s fluorescent gems. We’re talking about a dazzling display of colors that’ll make your heart skip a beat!
Wyoming’s Gem Lineup
Wyoming’s got it all—scheelite, petalite, and silicates enriched with uranium ions. Let’s break it down by shades:
- Scheelite: a vivid, bright blue
- Calcite: showing off in pale blues and sunny yellows
- Barite: elegant and creamy
- Chalcedony: ranging from lively yellow-green to charming subdued orange
- Uranium Secondaries: glowing in a soothing green
And the star of the show? Caliche, coating most buried rocks, shines with a glow that ranges from dull cream to bright orange. Trust me, it’s a showstopper!
Volcanic Glow-Up
Enter volcanic ash—rich in silica and uranium—the hidden source behind the vibrant green chalcedony, agates, and limb casts that adorn the state. Keep an eye out for Sweetwater agates and youngite varieties—they’re the real MVPs!
Chalcedony Magic
Now, let’s talk about local chalcedony. Picture this: a dull yellow to bright orange glow under long-wave ultraviolet light. A playful mix of orange and green under medium wave, and a stunning bright green under short wave. Talk about nature’s own light show—it’s incredibly beautiful and wonderfully unusual!
Local agates and common opal found west of here? They glow in captivating blue-white. Fun fact: almost all petrified wood and fossils flaunt shades from dull cream to bright orange when UV lights hit them.
Limestone, dolomite, and concretions found in some black shale bring us calcite and barite crystals that glow in warm, dull yellow.
Ready to join the fluorescent party in Wyoming? It’s a glow-up like no other!
- Scheelite, Copper Mountain
- Calcite And Aragonite, Big Horn Mountains
- Granite Cobble Under Natural And Long Wave
- Quartz Under Natural And Long Wave
Septarian Concretion Specimens
Here are some fluorescent septarian specimens that shine best under long-wave ultraviolet light:
- Calcite: fluoresces brown, tan, cream, yellow
- Barite: fluoresces yellow-white to bright white
And they are phosphorescent, with different generations of calcite and barite glowing white, yellow, green, and blue.
- Calcite Crystals. Pierre Shale, Western South Dakota
- Calcite, Aragonite, Barite. Frontier Formation, Central Wyoming
- Calcite, Aragonite, Barite. Frontier Formation, Central Wyoming
- Barite Crystal. Pierre Shale, Western South Dakota
- Calcite, Aragonite, Barite. Frontier Formation, Central Wyoming
- Calcite, Aragonite, Barite. Frontier Formation, Central Wyoming
I’ve written more about them at Septarian Concretions.
Tertiary Silicates
- Chalcedony Under Natural, Long Wave, Short Wave, Full Wave. Central Wyoming
- Sweetwater Agates Under Natural, Long And Short Wave. Jeffry City
- Opal, Chalcedony, Caliche Under Natural And Full Wave. Central Wyoming
- Opal, Chalcedony, Caliche Under Natural And Full Wave. Central Wyoming
- Angel Agates, Short Wave. Crooks Gap
- Chalcedony Under Natural And Full Wave. Central Wyoming
- Chalcedony Under Natural And Full Wave
- Chalcedony Under Natural And Full Wave. Central Wyoming
- Opal Under Natural And Short Wave. Central Wyoming
- Opal, Chalcedony, Caliche Under Natural And Long Wave
- Chalcedony Under Natural, Long Wave, Short Wave, Full Wave. Central Wyoming
Cedar Rim Chalcedony, Opal, Caliche
- Cedar Rim Specimens In Natural Light
- Cedar Rim Specimens In Long Wave Ultraviolet Light
- Cedar Rim Specimens In Mid Wave Ultraviolet Light
- Cedar Rim Specimens In Short Wave Ultraviolet Light
Petrified Wood Fossils
Most of Wyoming’s fluorescent petrified wood was formed from casts in the Tertiary ash beds. Some has been replaced with silica that still maintains the original cell structure. It fluoresces best under long wave.
- Petrified Wood Under Natural And Long Wave
- Petrified Wood Under Natural And Long Wave
- Petrified Wood Under Natural And Short Wave
- Stromatolite Fossil Under Natural And Long Wave
- Turritella Agate Under Natural And Long Wave
- Diplomystus Fish Fossil Under Natural And Long Wave. Green River Formation
Casper Mountain Pegmatite
Picture this—fluorescent minerals that are true mineralogical mutts. A delightful mix of quartz, albite, and traces of other pegmatite gems gracefully blending into each other. Large, distinct crystals? Not so much. The pegmatite is like an abstract painting—poorly zoned with a tiny quartz core.
Now, you might think, “Not interesting mineralogically,” but wait for it…
Fluorescent Magic Unleashed! At the pegmatite serpentine contact, these mineralogical mutts put on an extraordinary show. It’s like they’ve been practicing their fluorescent dance moves!
- Bright Green: Thanks to uranyl ion-activated fractures and coatings
- Bright Yellow: Courtesy of fluorapatite’s dazzling origins
- Dull Red Feldspar: Yes, even feldspar joins the party with a subdued red glow
- Unknowns: They bring the mystery with a fluorescent symphony of blue, purple, yellow, and white
It’s not just minerals; it’s a fluorescent fiesta up there! Ready to dance with the mineralogical mutts? Casper Mountain Pegmatite is where the rocks know how to light up the night!
Casper Mountain Serpentine
Let’s talk about these hidden gems tucked away in highly altered serpentine. Picture this: vugs filled with stunning calcite and other carbonates that are breathtaking in both natural light and under the magical glow of ultraviolet light.
Now, hold onto your hats because we’re diving into a color palette straight out of a dream. From pure white to mesmerizing shades of blue and rich deep red. But here’s where it gets even more exciting—bright fluorescent green uranyl coatings and fracture fillings add that extra pop. It’s like Mother Nature decided to throw a rave!
And that’s not all. Get ready for the showstopper: caliche stealing the spotlight, fluorescing from subtle earthy red to brilliant orange. Imagine walking into a room and making an entrance like that—caliche knows how to steal the scene!
Now, let’s talk phosphorescence. These carbonates are the true stars, lighting up the stage with colors ranging from warm tan to a cool, serene blue-white, with a touch of gentle dull green. And here’s the kicker—the dull green gracefully fades after a few minutes, unveiling a captivating blue-white phosphorescence that keeps you enchanted for a good 15 minutes. Nature’s own light show, right?
- Vuggy Serpentine Under Natural, Long Wave, Short Wave, And Phosphorescent Light
Cheers, D 🪨🔥
