Re: Bones, Rocks and UV

Sounds interesting, but perhaps oversimplified. One is dealing here not
only with fluorescence, which is quite complicated by itself, but some
kind of "delayed triboluminescence", which is still to be demonstrated.
One should also take into account the presence of a large stock of trace
elements in apatite, among which fluorine, but several others (REE).
Contamination by organic matter and iron of art work surfaces submitted to
open air (which could act as fluorescence extinguishers) is also to be
considered. But after all, if this is the case, this could be used as a
test of modernity of disturbance.

Remembering the difficulties met with by thermoluminescence in similar
cases of art work authentification, I should be very cautious. E.g., does
the effect last after some heating of the art work under examination? If
the effect disappears, this would be a trick of which the purported
faker(s) should already have used.


In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] (Bart Torbert) wrote:

> Hello,
> 
..............
> I can provide more details as needed about all of this.  I just wanted
> to present the basic problem to mineralogists for their input.
> 
> Thanks ahead of time  
> 
> Bart Torbert
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]