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Posted By: Hankron

The long and the short of it is that there is long and shortwave ultraviolet light ('blacklight'). I'm not a physicist, but I beleive that both long and short actually will work with cards and such. So if someone accidentally got a shortwave, it's likely not the end of the world. It is recommended that the card collector buy the longwave, as it's usually cheaper and safer. Shortwave is safe if you use it in a reasonable manner (don't stare at the light, don't try to get a tan with it).

You can get a UV light that has both short and longwave, and people on this board may wish to get one of these.

Geologists and jewelers use the combination of short and longwave to identify various minerals. Many minerals will change between short and longwave light. If someone on this collects jewelry (such as World Series rings), the short/longwave light will help identify all those rocks on the ring ... Short is also useful with stamps, as the Government sometimes puts markings (for processingpurposes) that only glow under shortwave.