Tugtupite
“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.
Gallery
of Tugtupite Images
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