Addition to mineral properties search

Could we add a category for various luminescent properties: Fluorescence, Cathodoluminescence, Triboluminescence, etc to the search engine? I think it would be very useful.

Henry Barwood
Troy University
Troy, Alabama USA

Trouble with that is that the Mindat database does not have enough of that sort of information in it to be useful. Once it does then that would be a very useful thing to be able to do. As it is now I have to go to : [www.fluomin.org] to find out about those properties. Unfortunately I don't know how complete or accurate that database is but it certainly is better than Mindat ( Sorry Jolyon! ). However, I have only used it about a dozen times, does anyone more familiar with it know just how good it is?

Hi Reiner,

While the FMS database is excellent, it lacks some key elements. For instance, the fluorite section contains 18 spectra and only one is identified to locality. It also contains only meager data on cathodoluminescence, triboluminescence, thermoluminescence, etc. I know it is difficult to initiate a project within Mindat. I'm just suggesting that it would be a useful search element.

Henry Barwood
Troy University
Troy, Alabama USA

I still think having a SG or SG range in search would be useful.

Additional suggestions for search fields:

Luminescence
Specific Gravity
Microhardness

Henry Barwood
Troy University
Troy, Alabama USA

Hello Henry,

I agree the FMS database is lacking but having a useful data set in Mindat would be a huge undertaking since many, if not most, of these properties are locality specific. It would also be nice to know which are species specific and some statistical information, such as, what percentage of willemite does not fluoresces, or at least some sort of semiqualtitative assessment such as; most willemite fluoresces green but some does not fluoresce.

If someone's prepared to enter the data, I can make the searches work well!

Hi Jolyon, Reiner,

I'm seriously underqualified for such and undertaking, but can suggest that someone contact the FMS and see if they would give permission to convert the Henkel Glossary of Fluorescent Minerals to a database for Mindat. Once you have a starting point, I suspect that data would flow in from various sources much as it does now for other phases of Mindat. I would be gald to see about Cathodoluminescence sources as well as my own meager research in the area.

Henry Barwood
Troy University
Troy, Alabama USA

Is this another instance when being able to assign various tags to a specimen on the image upload page would be handy?

Rock Currier
Crystals not pistols.