“For ages, the Inuit of Greenland have  understood the power of tugtupite. Legend has it that lovers can cause the stone to glow fiery red just from the heat of their romance. The brilliance  and vibrant colors announce the intensity of their love.”

Tugtupite was discovered in 1957 close to the town of Narsaq and to-date has only been found in two other areas - Mt. St. Hilaire (Canada) and the Kola Peninsula (Russia).  The entire occurrence of tugtupite at Kvanefjeld is only 5 x 25 meters with the tugtupite scattered in irregular hydrothermal veins up to 50cm wide. Only tugtupite from Greenland is deeply colored and valued as a gemstone. See the gallery of images below for superb examples of this rare mineral.

Chemical formula: Na4AlBeSi4O12Cl.  Hardness = 6.5, Density = 2.35

Tugtupite varies in color from white, pink, to red and crimson.  Some blue/white specimens have been recorded.  The fluorescence is a brilliant red under short-wave ultraviolet light, and a salmon-red under longwave UV. After exposure to UV (or long periods of sunlight) the red coloration is enhanced (tenebrescense). Tugtupite occurs as irregular forms in whitish albite veins with grey-green lujavrite rock. It can be found throughout the Ilimaussaq Complex, but the specimens from Kvanefjeld are the most sought after - as both jewelry rough and mineral specimens.  It is most often found associated with albite, analcime, beryllite, aegirine, neptunite, and pyrochlore.  Most often it is massive, very few well-developed crystals have been found.

Tugtupite from the Kvanefjeld area is the most widely known fluorescent mineral from Ilimaussaq. It is typically a bright gemmy red and is the source for the gem material used in making beautiful tugtupite cabochons. A typical piece of gem tugtupite will be found in an analcime and lujavrite matrix, probably along with aegirine crystals. The natural color ranges from a light pink to a deep cherry red. Under shortwave the red glow is unmistakable.  Commonly associated (fluorescent) minerals include chkalovite, beryllite, and sorensenite.

Taseq Tugtupite – Found both in boulders that have rolled to the bottom and in veins towards the top of the slopes, this variety of tugtupite is quite different from that found on Kvanefjeld. It was first found in the summer of 2002. It consists of a coarse grained pink veining in massive crystals of analcime.  Often pieces are associated with aegirine (non FL) and what appears to be a spotty green fluorescent analcime (or remnants of chkalovite).  Many pieces have vugs where micro crystals of tugtupite can be found.  Daylight color ranges from a light pink to deep pink, but not yet found in a gemmy red state as on Kvanefjeld.  This material is also usually quite phosphorescent. It also usually shows a significant color change under midwave UV light. View a (large) animation of the three color states.

Tugtupite Crystals – The rarest fluorescent find to date was made during the MinerShop 2002 Greenland “Geo-Adventure”. One of the tour members found a boulder of tugtupite on the eastern slopes.  When he cracked it open he found a cavity of wonderfully formed tugtupite crystals! Many pieces have micro crystals but this piece was truly remarkable in size.  Although not a gemmy red, the tugtupite deepened in color to an intense pink.  A coating of what appears to be a uranyl activated green FL covered many areas on the specimens, along with a yellowish glow – perhaps from another associated (unknown) mineral. Exceedingly rare, these are the only images we know of on the web.

Blue tugtupite from the Kvanefjeld area - There have been many reports of “blue tugtupite” but no verifiable specimens.  A few pieces from the Kvanefjeld area show an unusual response under MW ( and SW to a degree), glowing a medium intensity blue.  Only a couple of these specimens were found but these may account for the rumors of blue tugtupite.  The MW response of tugtupite is unpredictable and can range from salmon -as under LW - to white. The ones showing a white FL under MW are usually quite phosphorescent.

Pink FL Tugtupite - A very unusual variety of tugtupite can be found on the Taseq Slopes. Unlike those found on Kvanefjeld, it fluoresces a bright pink – not the typical cherry red. The response under longwave is also quite remarkable – a bright orange. The natural color is a deep (almost purple) red. In addition, these specimens are dramatically phosphorescent a bluish white.   In many pieces tugtupite crystals are found which are clean and well formed (micros). Also, polylithionite is commonly associated with these specimens.

Tugtupite enclosing Chkalovite - Exceptional specimens of chkalovite (FL blue/green) being replaced by tugtupite have been observed on the Taseq Slopes.  These pieces are striking due to the patterns, as well as the very interesting formation. The matrix is analcime and lujavrite; the green FL is unknown but most likely uranyl activated.

“Tugtulite” – Tugtup Agtakorfia is a small area right on the water in the Tunulliarfik Fjord. It is the type locality for tugtupite – discovered in 1962 by Sorensen. All of the pink/red tugtupite has since been mined and all that was left in the vein were some remarkable specimens of sodalite and this presently unknown mineral (but thought to be a variety of tugtupite).  This material has three distinct color states under each wavelength - bright peach under SW, bright white under MW, and bright orange under LW. Additionally it is extremely phosphorescent a greenish white - lasting for a very long time. EDS analysis reveals that the peach FL mineral is “not a homogenous phase, but rather a mixture of at least two and likely three different phases.”  Further research is being conducted on the makeup of this mineral but for now we have given it the nickname “tugtulite” for a combination of sodalite and tugtupite.

Tugtupite and Polylithionite - Kangerlussaq yields dramatic specimens of a white variety of tugtupite (appears to be albite under natural light).  When associated with small crystals of polylithionite the brightness and depth of the red tugtupite is amazing.

"Blue" Tugtupite Tugtupite Crystals Tugtupite Crystals Tugtupite and Polylithioinite       Tugtupite and Sodalite mix Tugtupite and Chkalovite Classic Tugtupite with Chkalovite "Eyes" Tugtupite and Polylithioinite       Taseq Tugtupite Chkalovite surrounded by Tugtupite Tugtupite Cabochons Pink Tugtupite   Tugtupite and Beryllite Pink Tugutpite on Ussingite