Searching for opal is much more productive if you have a powerful 365nm UV (black light) torch. Our torches are being used by many opal hunters at Lightning Ridge, Coober Pedy, White Cliffs, Andamooka etc. One Lightning Ridge character recently purchased one, tried it, then ordered four more! I have been using it myself for many years when searching for all kinds of long wave fluorescent minerals.
A torch suitable for finding fluorescent minerals – including opal – must be filtered and for optimal results its wavelength should be 365nm. Unless you want to be quickly running out of power your battery needs to have good capacity. That is why high quality Li-Ion 18650 batteries are best – and they are what we supply. You also need a powerful LED, otherwise you’ll only see minerals close to the torch. If you are hunting minerals that fluoresce brightly, our FL1 torch is good up to a couple of metres, the FL2 up to about 5 metres, and the FL8 up to 10 metres or more.
NOTE: Be aware that opal fluorescence has nothing to do with the daylight colours of the opal. Opal fluoresces a bluish-white colour regardless of how the opal looks in sunlight. You shine the UV torch on the ground at night and if you see a bright blue-white spot you pick up an opal. UV does NOT affect the beautiful white-light colours of opal. UV will not make those colours brighter or more intense. Only white light will do that. The role of UV is in the FINDING of the opals.
We now offer three models, the Fluoromins FL1, the Fluoromins FL2, and the Fluoromins FL8. The FL2 has been a reliable workhorse for many years, both for Opal hunting and general fluorescent mineral hunting. The FL1 is its new Little Brother, nicely powerful for its size, and the FL8 is its new Big Brother, with a new super powerful 365nm LED.
Click for Fluoromins FL1 Details
Click for Fluoromins FL2 Details
Click for Fluoromins FL8 Details
The price of the Fluoromins FL1 is A$40.00 + postage.
The price of the Fluoromins FL2 Kit is A$90.00 + postage.
The price of the Fluoromins FL8 Kit is A$160.00 + postage.
HOW TO ORDER
Send an email to graham@fluoromins.com.au giving your name, address, and what you want to order.
I will reply with details for payment.
Payment options are Bank Transfer (preferred), Paypal, Visa or Mastercard.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Being a collector myself, I’m more than happy to have a chat about long wave (365nm) or short wave (254nm) UV torches and lamps, or anything else about UV and fluorescence. Call me on 0408 37 27 37.
Avoid cheap knock-offs. Cheap UV torches are mostly unfiltered and use LEDs around 390nm. Without a filter, they emit visible light as well as UV, which distorts and can overpower the fluorescence colours, making everything purple-tinted (see picture below). They usually come with batteries that ridiculously overstate their capacity. 18650 batteries offering more than about 3700mAh will be fakes. Genuine Li-Ion 18650 batteries weigh around 45-48gm. Fakes weigh around 35gm or even less and can be potentially dangerous.
