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Tunulliarfik
 The Tunulliarfik Fjord cuts right through the middle of the Ilimaussaq Complex. Traveling by boat from Narsaq the sights are wondrous; the deep blue water of the fjords broken by massive white and blue icebergs contrasts remarkably to the rocky cliffs and sparse vegetation on either side of the fjord. Upon approaching the transition zone into the complex the appearance of the land changes abruptly. There is almost a complete absence of vegetation due to the rapid weathering of the friable syenites – only gray rocks with an occasional white vein high above. Boulders lie at the water’s edge and landslide areas offer up exciting areas to prospect. Gem quality ussingite, massive veins of sodalite, and brilliant assortments of multi-color tugtupite specimens can all be found here.
Tunulliarfik Minerals
Ussingite, Sodalite, Chkalovite, Tugtupite and Polylithionite – Ussingite seems closely related to sodalite and may even be mistaken for it. The ussingite from the Tunulliarfik area is possibly the best in the complex. Gem quality pieces are found, usually associated with sodalite, tugtupite and polylithionite - making for a striking 4 or 5 color specimen. One of the mysteries of ussingite is its fluorescence – the response seems to vary from bright orange to bright green to none (or very dim).
“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. 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.” It appears that the bulk of the material is sodalite but the activating agent could not be detected by EDS. Beryllium is part of the chemical makeup of tugtupite and cannot be detected (easily) with EDS. 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.
Solid Sodalite – Some of the nicest solid pieces of sodalite have been found in the Tunulliarfik areas. These pieces are simply glowing embers under UV light. They are often quite tenebrescent, and can overwhelm almost any piece placed next to it in a display cabinet. Natural colors range from a pale white to a deep green and most are quite translucent.
Pea-Green Sodalite – An exceptionally bright variety of sodalite comes from a single area within the Tunulliarfik Fjord. This variety is colored a bright “pea-green” under natural light. It is somewhat coarse grained with aegirine distributed throughout. Under longwave the pieces glow as if they were on fire. Interestingly they are not tenebrescent.
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