C
crystalqueen
Expert
1200 rep
TIP
Best shortwave UV lamps for fluorescent mineral collecting — 2024 comparison
Jun 09, 2026 · 175 views
I have been through about five different shortwave UV setups over the years and wanted to share what I have learned. Shortwave (254nm) is non-negotiable for serious fluorescent mineral work — longwave alone misses calcite, scheelite, and most of the good stuff.
The Convoy S2+ with a Nichia 279A LED modified to 275nm is currently my go-to field unit — small, battery-powered, and way more powerful than the old UV-9B setups. For a cabinet lamp, the 6W and 12W shortwave units from the mineral society suppliers are workhorses.
Key safety note: ALWAYS wear UV-blocking safety glasses with shortwave. Even brief exposure can cause photokeratitis. The crystals are not worth your corneas.
What are others running for field work? Any experience with the newer 260nm options?
1 Replies
✓ Highly Helpful (4 votes)
M
meteorite_mike
👑
Legendary Collector
Jun 09, 2026
+4 helpful
Solid breakdown. I would add: for serious shortwave work in the field, the Chinese-built modules have a failure rate that will frustrate you. The Convoy mod mentioned is genuinely the best bang-for-buck available right now. Also, if you are primarily hunting scheelite for gold prospect indicator use, some of the newer 260nm units produce noticeably better response on submicron scheelite traces than standard 254. Costs about $30 more but worth it if that is your primary use case.