Small Uranium Agate Jar (UV)

The glass jar contains small pieces of seam agate that glows green under UV light. The uranyl ion is the cause of greenish photo-luminescence in this agate, which can only be viewed with short wavelengths (<300 nm).

The vivid green glow of uranyl-activated fluorescence can be beautiful  and no collection of fluorescent minerals would be complete without a couple of examples. Whether the uranyl is present as a contaminant, or as a structural constituent, all minerals that show uranyl-activated fluorescence contain the radioactive element uranium to one extent or another.