This piece of tugtupite has vugs with EXCEPTIONAL tugtupite crystals that are sizeable. The tugtupite is phosphorescent as shown in the photos. Rarest of the rare...
Until 2001, tugtupite was really only known from the tugtupite mines on Kvanefjeld. There were reports of other varieties and locales, but none were ever made available to collectors. Crystals were unheard of. In 2002 we made a major discovery of tugtupite on the eastern part of the Taseq Slope.
This specimen is a part of our first find outside of Kvanefjeld. We referred to this as sugar tugtupite due to its light pink color instead of the characteristic cherry red color tugtupite usually displays. The matrix is analcime possibly mixed with chkalovite.
Now these tugtupite crystals have only been documented in these pieces from Greenland, and even then, very rarely. Keep in mind, tugtupite is really found nowhere else in the world, in spite of reports from MSH Canada and Kola Russia, none ever make it to market.
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.
