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This 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 tugtupite that fluoresces a deep cherry red under shortwave UV and a salmon-orange under longwave. Chkalovite shows up in green and magenta tones, sometimes forming eye-like patterns surrounded by tugtupite. You’ll also find blue analcime, orange sodalite, and streaks of black arfvedsonite running throughout the matrix.
Under midwave UV, the tugtupite displays two different colors - the typical lilac purple and also a light salmon-orange.
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.
They were nicknamed "Yooperlites" which is derived from the name “yooper”. A yooper is a nickname for the Upper Peninsula natives and these fluorescent stones quickly gained fame. After data was published on these fluorescent stones, it was discovered that sodalite is the actual true mineral that is fluorescing orange.
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.
