Mineral Data

 Greenland Mineral Data

There are several key localities offering the collector access to many rare and unusual minerals. Some of these areas are small intrusions perhaps only meters wide. Many minerals in these areas are found nowhere else in the world. Due to the rapid weathering of the friable (brittle and easily crumbled) syenites most of the mountains have no vegetation (no soil), and the gray and reddish hues contrast nicely with the deep blue fjords and gleaming white icebergs.

The MinData section has detailed information regarding the famous minerals of Greenland, including studies on tenebrescense, phosphorescence, information on fluorescent minerals, along with many image galleries of spectacular fluorescent mineral specimens found in Greenland and the Ilimaussaq Complex. Join us on one of our Greenland Tour adventures and view the beauty of this complex on your own!

Boundry of the complex - friable gray alkalai rock will not support any vegatation

The transition zone into the Ilimaussaq Complex - View from Tunuliarfik Fjord

Ilimaussaq Complex

Perhaps the most famous is the Ilimaussaq Complex in Southwestern Greenland - an 8x17km intrusion located between two fjords - Kangerdluarssuk fjord and Tunulliarfik fjord. Located near the city of Narsaq, access to certain parts of the complex (Kvanefjeld) can be made by foot, while other areas (Kangerdluarssuk and Tunulliarfik) requires travel by boat. It is without a doubt the most mineral-rich area in Greenland. Many of these minerals are new finds for the fluorescent collector. 

    Download PDFNew fluorescent minerals from Greenland are being uncovered almost weekly. For the latest list and pictures of the most significant finds download our article “The Fluorescent Minerals of Greenland”.  (printer ready)

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KangerdlussaqThe complex consists of three different intrusions. First augite syenite formed a shell along the sides and the roof, next an alkali granite and alkali syenite formed two thin sheets near the top, and finally the biggest part and center of the intrusion was formed by a layered series of under-saturated syenites. The rocks close to the roof are the oldest. The most common rocks in these areas are a sodalite-nepheline syenite called naujaite, an arfvedsonite-aegrine bearing nepheline syenite called lujavrite, and a eudialyte-bearing nepheline syenite called kakortokite.

Atop Kvanfjeld, overlooking NarsaqIllimaussaq is the area with the most minerals in Greenland - more than 200 so far, half of them silicates. Here the silica content is much higher than elsewhere in the world. Numerous pegmatites and hydrothermal veins, streaks and patches are found all over the intrusion, but are most common in the areas of Kangerdluarssuk and Kvanefjeld. Some of the famous minerals from this area include:

For more information on the formation of the Illimaussaq complex see the Minerology Pages.  For more information on tenebrescense visit our sodalite pages.

Fiskenaesset Complex

The Fiskenaesset area includes a matamorphosed layered magmatic complex. It occurs in granitic gneiss bordered by amphibolites. This area is most known for the occurrences of:

 

Godthabsfjord Area

Located in West Greendland just east of the capital (Nuuk), this area is famous for the oldest known rocks in the world (over 3.8 billion years old). Several popular Greenland gemstones come form this granite complex and associated pegmatites:

  • Greenlandite (chromian muscovite fuchsite) - considered to be the “oldest” gemstone in the world
  • Nuummite (anthophyllite-gedrite masses) - a stone with dramatic gold and blue iridescense
  •  

Minerals found in the Ilimaussaq Complex

Aegirine
Aenigmatite
Albite *
Allanite-(Ce)
Allargentum
Analcime *
Ancylite-(La)
Antigorite
Antimony
Arfvedsonite *
Argentite
Astrophyllite
Augite
Avicennite
Azurite
Barylite
Bastnaesite-(Ce)
Bertrandite
Beryllite *
Beudantite
Biotite

Bornite
Breithauptite
Britholite-(Ce)
Brochantite
Calcite *
Cancrinite
Carbonate-hydroxylapatite
Catapleiite *
Cerussite
Chabazite
Chalcedony
Chalcocite
Chalcopyrite
Chalcostibite
Chalcothallite
Chkalovite *
Chlorite-group
Chrysocolla
Connellite
Cookeite
Copper
Covellite
Cuprite
Cuprostibite
Diaspore
Digenite
Diopside
Djerfisherite
Djurleite
Dyscrasite
Elpidite
Emeleusite
Ephesite
Epididymite
Epidote
Epistolite
Eudialyte
Eudidymite
Evenkite

 

Famatinite
Fayalite
Fersmite
Fluorapatite
Fluorapophyllite
Fluorite *
Galena
Garnet-group
Genthelvite
Gerasimovskite
Gibbsite
Gmelinite
Goethite
Graphite
Gudmundite
Halloysite
Hastingsite
Hedenbergite
Helvite
Hemimorphite
Herschelite
Hiortdahlite
Hisingerite
Hydrocerussite
Ilimaussite
Ilmenite
Ilvaite
Joaquinite
Katophorite
Komarovite (var. Sodium-K.)
Kvanefjeldite
Lead
Lepidolite
Leucophanite
Leucosphenite
Linarite
Litharge
Loellingite
Lomonosovite
Lomonosovite-ß
Lorenzenite
Lovdarite
Lovozerite
Lueshite
Magnetite
Malachite
Marcasite
Microcline *
Molybdenite
Monazite-(Ce)
Montmorillonite
Mosandrite
Murmanite
Muscovite
Nabesite
Nacareniobsite-(Ce)

Nahcolite
Narsarsukite
Natrolite
Naujakasite
Nenadkevichite
Nepheline
Neptunite
Nickeline
Niobophyllite
Nontronite
Odintsovite
Orthojoaquinite-(La)
Orthoclase
Palygorskite
Pearceite
Pectolite
Plagioclase
Plattnerite
Polybasite
Polylithionite *
Prehnite
Pyrite
Pyrochlore
yrolusite
Pyrophanite
Pyrrhotite
Quartz *
Rhabdophane-(Ce)
Riebeckite
Rinkite
Rohaite
Rosenbuschite
Rutile
Sauconite
Seinaejokite
Semenovite-(Ce)
Senarmontite
Sepiolite
Serandite
Siderite
Silver
Skinnerite
Skutterudite
Sodalite *
Soda-microcline *
Soda-orthoclase *
Sorensenite *
Sphalerite *
Stannite
Steenstrupine-(Ce)
Stilbite
Stillwellite
Synchysite-(Ce)
Tetrahedrite
Tetranatrolite

Thalcusite
Thermonatrite
Thorianite
Thorite
Tin
Titanite
Todorokite
Troilite
Trona
Tugtupite *
Tundrite-(Ce)
Tundrite-(Nd)
Tuperssuatsiaite
Turkestanite
Ussingite *
Valentinite
Vesuvianite
Villiaumite *
Vinogradovite
Vitusite-(Ce)
Vrbaite
Vuonnemite
Westerveldite
Whewellite
Willemite
Zircon *

Bold – Type Locale

* - Observed to be Fluorescent (by MinerShop

 

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