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10 FACTS ABOUT TUGTUPITE – “THE KING OF FLUORESCENT”.
June 10, 2023 by Elena Petrova
in the coastal cliffs of Tugtup agtalzorfia on the north coast of the Tunugdliarfilz fjord, South Greenland.
2 It was first mentioned under the provisional name "beryllium sodalite" in the reports of the International Geological Congress, Norden (Sgrensen, 1960). ( A member of the helvine mineral group, tugtupite closely related to sodalite).
3 Sometimes this mineral referred to as “Reindeer Stone,” after the type locality. Tugtup means “reindeer” in the Greenlandic Inuit language. (Perhaps the gem’s similarity to a certain famous reindeer’s nose has also reinforced that moniker).
4 Tugtupite’s abundance has declined in the years since its discovery and become hard to obtain, especially in cuttable pieces.
5 Almost all gem-quality material comes from the Taseq and Kvanefield areas of Tugtup, Ilimaussaq, Greenland. Other sources of this rare mineral include:
- Mont Saint-Hilare, Quebec, Canada
- Kola Peninsula, Russia
6 Tugtupite displays striking phosphorescence and tenebrescence. Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light, whether from artificial sources or sunlight, intensifies its colors, generally making it darker and redder. X-rays also darken paler colors.
7 Darkness will cause its red colors to fade. These effects are reversible. Tugtupites can even glow in the dark after UV exposure.
8 If to place Tugtupite under pressure, it can generate an electrical charge Piezoelectricity.
9 Most tugtupite is massive; only a few well developed crystals of this rare mineral have been found, growing on walls of cavities in massive tugtupite. Such crystals are short, prismatic, and transparent, they are colorless or pale pink, and they range in size from 1 x 1 x 1 mm to 3 x 2 x 2 mm.
10 Scientists have created synthetic analogues for this mineral. However, no commercial jewelry use for these synthetics is known.
Reference List:
https://www.gemsociety.org/article/tugtupite-jewelry-and-gemstone-information/
/www.gia.edu/
