We have run out of stock for this item.
An incredible, unusual gemmy and extremely tenebrescent tugtupite specimen from Kangerlussaq. On one side displays deep purple colored tugtupite - extremely gemmy; many cabochons are made from this material.
Bright cherry red fluorescing tugtupite on an analcime and lujavrite matrix. Very nicely tenebrescent. Under LW the color shifts to salmon. Note that unlike sodalite/hackmanite from Greenland, red tugtupite does not fade quickly - one of the reasons it is valued as a gemstone.
Under midwave UV light this piece glows all sorts purple-lilac, magenta, red colors. It also displays an incredible phosphorescence.
Tugtupite is a very rare mineral - found in only three places around the world (Kola Russia, Mt St Hilaire, and Greenland). Pieces from Greenland are the most sought after due to coverage, size and brightness.
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.
