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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. We found veins of tugtupite in an analcime and/or lujavrite matrix. A major characteristic of the tugtupite found in this area is the presence of tugtupite crystals. Small vugs occur in the analcime matrix and occasionally small tug crystals are found. Now they have only been documented in these pieces from Greenland, and even then, very rarely. This piece doesn't have tugtupite crystal vugs, but it's from the same host rock that contained those vugs.
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.
Of course, the tugtupite fluoresces a bright cherry red. Under longwave UV, the color of the tugtupite shifts to the typical salmon color.
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.
