Tugtupite

46.45ct 

33 MM X 24 MM X  9MM

Beautiful red,white and black stone from Greenland.
Really nice for jewellery and especially under UV light the stones glow Orange. Both fluorescent and Tenebrescenct. Every stone is Very special and unique.


Tugtupite was discovered in 1957 close to the town of Narsaq and to-date has only been found in two other areas - Mt. St. Hilaire (Canada) and the Kola Peninsula (Russia).  The entire occurrence of tugtupite at Kvanefjeld is only 5 x 25 meters with the tugtupite scattered in irregular hydrothermal veins up to 50cm wide.  Often tons of rocks must be excavated to find only a single small vein. Only tugtupite from Greenland is deeply colored and valued as a gemstone (Mohs 6.5).

Tugtupite varies in color from white, pink, to red and crimson.  Some blue/white specimens have been recorded.  The fluorescence is a brilliant red under short-wave ultraviolet light, and a salmon-red under longwave UV. After exposure to UV (or long periods of sunlight) the red coloration is enhanced (tenebrescense). Tugtupite occurs as irregular forms in whitish albite veins with gray-green lujavrite rock. It can be found throughout the Ilimaussaq Complex, but the specimens from Kvanefjeld are the most sought after - as both jewelry rough and mineral specimens.  It is most often found associated with albite, analcime, beryllite, aegirine, neptunite, and pyrochlore.  Most often it is massive, very few well-developed crystals are found.