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We recently returned from a wonderful adventure in Greenland mining for rare fluorescent minerals. Over the next few months, we'll be listing our finds on our website and eBay account. There were some interesting new finds we have not seen in prior specimens out of this area.
This incredible colorful and bright specimen comes from remote Taseq Slope in the Ilimaussaq Complex of Greenland, where you will find the highly sought-after “Fantasy Rock.” Found only in this specific area, these rocks are known for their intense array of colors and glow under UV light.
This piece features rich, heavy blue analcime coverage similar to the variety found on the ultamite pieces that also contain strongly fluorescent sodalite intermixed with the blue analcime. Along both sides of this specimen is a vein of tugtupite that fluoresces a deep cherry red under shortwave UV and a salmon-orange under longwave. The delicate veining on this material clearly illustrates tugtupite replacing chkalovite and offers up fascinating “eye” patterns. This chkalovite is considered the rarer, pearly white variety, forming eye-like patterns surrounded by the tugtupite. The chkalovite also shows up in green under midwave and is phosphorescent, something we've not seen before. Between the vein of tugtupite and blue analcime, there is some minor polylithionite crystals fluorescing a dim yellow and an area of natrolite green. You’ll also find orange fluorescent sodalite that is tenebrescent and streaks of black arfvedsonite running throughout the matrix.
Both tugtupite and sodalite glow brightly under longwave UV. The specimen also displays some tenebrescence, adding another layer of visual interest depending on light exposure.
Fantasy Rock typically contains a mix of tugtupite, sodalite, chkalovite, and analcime—this specimen has them all. It's a great example of the kind of mineral combination that makes this location so unique and collectible.
What is tenebrescence? This is the process when the sodalite on this piece changes color after exposure to UV (shortwave or longwave), darkening to a purple as shown in the GIF - a unique hue compared to other Greenland sodalites. Under longwave the bright orange fluorescence is unmistakable.
365nm UV light is often called "blacklight". Before the advent of longwave UV LEDs, blacklight fluorescent tubes, (the kinds used in hippie days to light up psychedelic posters) were the standard longwave UV light for our hobby. They were not very powerful but they did light a large area.
Enter 365nm UV LEDs
First, an animation showing the difference between the UV flashlight we recommend (365nm filtered UV flashlight) versus unfiltered 395nm UV flashlights we see many folks carrying around at shows. So. much. visible purple light. We selected a bunch of rocks as a demonstration. Took pictures of them under his flashlight without the filter and then with the filter.
A major component of rock collecting (for us) is simply getting out in nature. A buddy dragged us out to a very remote area here in middle Tennessee to hunt for fluorescent green agate. Since we consider ourselves pure "Glow Hounds" we weren't anticipating any glow rocks, just the beauty of the area, but we brought our UV lights anyway.
