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Illuminating Your Micromount from Within!
You are here: MineralCollecting.org >> Posted Articles >> Article 28

By Jack Nelson (Poolesville MD 20837, (301)972-8504, nelsonja@erols.com)
and Paul Smith (Fairfax VA 22030, (703)273-1468, jpmicros@aol.com)
From the Mineral Mite, Newsletter of The Micromineralogists of the
National Capital Area, Washington, D. C June, July, August, 1996

ILLUMINATING YOUR MICROMOUNT - FROM WITHIN!

Imagine this scenario: You are preparing to look at a beautifully mounted 4 mm trapiche emerald under your microscope. You turn on your illuminator, peer through your scope and move the mounted emerald into position, quickly bringing it into focus. Wow! Like no other micromount you've ever seen before, this one possesses an inner glow that is unbelievably rich and radiant ! The color comes pouring fourth from within, not reflected from the outside! What is happening? Let us explain.

Nearly three years ago, a well known and very sophisticated mineral collector who was a member of the Gem, Lapidary and Mineral Society of Montgomery County, Maryland, Everett Ecklund, passed away. His wife Eileen, made arrangements for the Society to offer most of Everett's collection at an auction in August of 1994. Jack Nelson was the lucky bidder on a micromounted trapiche emerald from near Muzo, Colombia that Everett had acquired and mounted in 1972. Jack has admired it many times since the auction, but had not understood the exceptional inner glow it seemed to exhibit. Then, in early May of this year, Jack finally discovered the source of the "glow".

Everett Ecklund had mounted this specimen on one end of a U-shaped pedestal formed from a clear, light-transmitting rod of "Lucite" or "Plexiglass" (trade names for acrylic plastic). Jack was so excited by his discovery that he took the mounted specimen to the May meeting of the Micromineralogists of the National Capital Area (MNCA), where light and electron microscope expert Dave Ballard examined it and proclaimed it to be the first such mounting he had seen, When Dave directed his fiber optic light at the bare end of the U-shaped rod, the emerald glowed with a bright green internal light! Paul Smith, MNCA president, Jack and other members at once recognized the potential such a mounting pedestal could have for some translucent or transparent specimens. Paul took the specimen home and added it to an excellent videotape through his microscope, planning to use it for teaching micromounting classes at Wild-acres sessions. In his video, Paul narrated and showed the features and properties of this exceptional mounting system.

Now back to an explanation of Everett Ecklund's wonderful mount. He bent a small 3.5 mm (1/8 inch) clear plastic rod in a U-shape to fit his mounting box. The light-gathering end of the rod in the corner of the box was slightly rounded and smoothly polished. The specimen-end was fiat and, we surmise, was roughed up so as to somewhat diffuse the light up through the specimen. He placed this U-shaped rod in the box so the specimen end was centered. Both ends protruded up through a balsa wood platform (other materials could be used) cut to fit the exact size of the inside of the box. The platform can be at an appropriate level 3 or 4 mm below the bottom of the specimen. Then the entire interior of the box is rendered fiat black except the entire light-gathering end of the rod above the platform and the cross section of the rod receiving the specimen. Platform supports (can be placed in the corners of the box beneath the platform for stability. Everett then used a clear glu~ to mount the emerald to the pedestal so light could be transmitted up through the specimen. The light-gathering end is very unobtrusive and can hardly be noticed, but is very efficient at gathering incidental light from the illuminator and carrying it to the specimen. We have determined that such plastic rods are available from plastics supply firms in 1/16, 1/8, 3/16 and 1/4 inch diameter sizes and come in 6 foot lengths. We are also experimenting with methods for cutting, bending and finishing the rods.

We understand that Everett obtained his trapiche emerald from Bill and Charlotte Morrison, who were early members of MNCA. Bill had heard of this mounting technique from Lee Blackford and Neal Yedlin in the very early seventies and had passed it on to Everett who then developed this wonderful mounting. The illustration accompanying this article was drawn from his micromounted trapiche emerald.

If anyone who reads this article knows about or has used this mounting technique, we ask them to contact us to share any information or tips so that we can pass it on in future issues.

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