A chelate and associated security feature including a lanthanide metal and a ligand of formula (1), formula (2), or formula (3), where each of R1-R7 in formula (1) is independently selected from the group consisting of H, OH, NH2, Cl, F, OMe, OAr, OCF3, CF3, alkyl, aryl, phenyl, OPh, and heteroaromatic, where each of R1-R5 in formula (2) is independently selected from the group consisting of H, OH, NH2, Cl, F, OMe, OAr, OCF3, CF3, NMe2, CN, alkyl, aryl, phenyl, OPh, and heteroaromatic, and where R6 in formula (2) is selected from the group consisting of H, NH2, Cl, F, OMe, OAr, OCF3, CF3, NMe2, CN, alkyl, aryl, phenyl, OPh, and heteroaromatic, and where each of R1-R5 in formula (3) is independently selected from the group consisting of H, OH, NH2, Cl, F, OMe, OAr, OCF3, CF3, alkyl, aryl, phenyl, OPh, and heteroaromatic.