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These specimens are unique to Kangerlussaq in the Ilimaussaq Complex, Greenland. One summer, ten members of that year's Geo-Tour scoured the outcrops for the source of this material. One member finally found it on the last day before our departure. We excavated it during the following summer's GeoTour (sadly, the "finder" didn't make that trip).
Bright yellow polylithionite (lithium mica) forms a vein atop a pastel blue fluorescing chkalovite. Bright deep pink tugtupite (also phosphorescent) dot several areas. Sodalite fills out the rest of the rock. Both the sodalite and the tugtupite are very tenebrescent - but the tugtupite on these pieces can fool you. Its tenebrescence is a deep purple instead of the typical gemmy red; unique to this locality (Kangerlussaq).
Also, note how the tenebrescent sodalite areas appear to fluoresce a deep purple under shortwave UV - a function of the tenebrescence we believe.
Captions show the wavelengths and other details. The animation shows easy viewing of the tenebrescence
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.
