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Tugtupite
Current inventory:  0 gems
 

Tugtupite

  
Tugtupite is named after its discovery locality, Tugtup agtakôrfia, Tunugdliarfik, Greenland.

Discovered in 1957; IMA status: Valid (IMA approved 1962)

 

Chemistry

 

 

Chemical Formula:

Na4AlBeSi4O12Cl

 

Sodium Aluminum Berylium Silicate Chloride

Molecular Weight:

467.74 gm

Composition:

Sodium

19.66 %

Na

26.50 %

Na2O

 

Beryllium

1.93 %

Be

5.35 %

BeO

 

Aluminum

5.77 %

Al

10.90 %

Al2O3

 

Silicon

24.02 %

Si

51.38 %

SIO2

 

Chlorine

7.58 %

Cl

7.58 %

Cl

 

 —  %

Cl

-1.71 %

-O=Cl2

 

Oxygen

41.05 %

O

 

 

 

 

100.00 %

 

100.00 %

= TOTAL OXIDE

 

 

Classification

   

   

Mineral Classification:

Silicates

Strunz 8th Ed. ID:

8/J.11-50

Nickel-Strunz 10th Ed. ID:

9.FB.10

 

9 : SILICATES (Germanates)
F : Tektosilicates without zeolitic H
2O
B : Tektosilicates with additional anions

Related to:

Helvine Group.

Members of Group:

Helvine Group: Danalite, Genthelvite, Helvine, Tugtupite

Varieties:

None

Synonyms:

Helvite, Moonlight Garnet, Tetrahedral Garnet

 

 

Crystal Data

   

   

Crystallography:

Tetragonal - Disphenoidal

Crystal Habit:

Crystals are short tetragonal prisms with pyramids, sphenoids, and bisphenoids, to 3 mm; fine-grained aggregates, massive.

Twinning:

Penetration twinning produces pseudocubic triplets; pseudotrigonal contact twins with composition planes.

 

 

Physical Properties

   

 

Cleavage:

Distinct on [101], Fair on [110]

Fracture:

Conchoidal

Tenacity:

Brittle

Moh's Hardness:

4.0

Density:

2.33 (g/cm3)

Luminescence:

Fluorescent; bright orange under LW UV. Phosphorescent red to rose-pink under UV; photochromic, pale colors become deep pink on exposure to sunlight or X-rays.

Radioactivity:

Not Radioactive

Other:

Piezoelectric

 

 

Optical Properties

   

   

Color:

White, Pink, Crimson, Blue, Green

Transparency:

Opaque, Translucent, Transparent

Luster:

Vitreous to Greasy

Refractive Index:

1.492 - 1.502  Uniaxial ( + ); anomalously Biaxial

Birefringence:

0.0060

Dispersion:

0.012

Pleochroism:

Weak Lilac to weak Red-Orange

 

 

Occurances

   

   

Geological Setting:

Replaces chkalovite in hydrothermal veins cutting sodalite syenite and syenite (Ilimaussaq intrusion, Greenland); an alteration product in pegmatites in a differentiated alkalic massif (Lovozero massif, Russia).

Common Associations:

Albite, Analcime, Aegirine, Natrolite, Tetranatrolite, Chkalovite, Lithian mica, Epistolite, Niobophyllite, Monazite, Rhabdophane, Gerasimovskite, Nenadkevichite, Beryllite

Common Impurities:

Fe, Ga, Mg, Ca, K, H2O, S

Type Locality:

Tugtup agtakôrfia, Ilimaussaq complex, Narsaq, Kitaa (West Greenland) Province, Greenland

Year Discovered:

1957

View mineral photos:

Tugtupite Mineral Photos and Locations

 

 

More Information

   

   

 

Mindat.org
Webmineral.com

 

 


Tugtupite is a rare member of the Helvine Group of minerals that includes Danalite
, Genthelvite. Helvine and Tugtupite. Tugtupite was discovered in Tugtup agtakôrfia, Tunugdliarfik, Greenland in 1962. It is also known as Reindeer Stone because Tugtup means reindeer. Most material is opaque to translucent and used for cabochons. Transparent material is rarely available and cut into very small faceted gems. These are very rare and usually slightly to moderately included. Tugtupite has an unusual characteristic in that it darkens in color when exposed to UV light and then slowly lightens back up. Tugtupite is also fluorescent exhibiting bright orange under longwave UV light. If you hover your cursor over the Tugtupite picture at the top of this page you will see the Tugtupite gem exhibiting it bright orange color under longwave UV light.

The main sources of Tugtupite are Tasseq Slope, Ilimaussaq complex, Narsaq, Kitaa Province, Greenland; and minor occurances at Kola Peninsula Russia and Mont Saint-Hilaire, Quebec, Canada.
 

  
Tugtupite gems for sale:

Tugtupite-001

Gem:

Tugtupite

Stock #:

TUGT-001

Weight:

0.0210 ct

Size:

1.99 x 1.04 mm

Shape:

Round

Color:

Light Pink

Clarity:

Eye Clean

Origin:

Narsaq, Greenland

Treatment:

None (natural)

Price:

SOLD  (but we have others)

Pictures are of the actual gem offered for sale.
Gem images are magnified to show detail.

Tugtupite-001

A rare gem not normally seen transparent - not to mention eye clean! A very well faceted gem for such a small size. It glows bright pink under LW UV and it phosphoresces pale greenish in the dark after SW UV exposure.


Tugtupite-002

Gem:

Tugtupite

Stock #:

TUGT-002

Weight:

11.5325 ct

Size:

25.02 x 18.13 x 5.08 mm

Shape:

Triangle Cabochon

Color:

Pink

Clarity:

Opaque

Origin:

Narsaq, Greenland

Treatment:

None (natural)

Price:

SOLD  (but we have others)

Pictures are of the actual gem offered for sale.
Gem images are magnified to show detail.

Tugtupite-002

A rare and large gem from Greenland. The second picture shows it glowing bright orange-pink under LW UV and it phosphoresces pale greenish in the dark after SW UV exposure. It also turns darker red after UV exposure.


Tugtupite-003

Gem:

Tugtupite

Stock #:

TUGT-003

Weight:

2.2115 ct

Size:

9.69 x 8.19 x 3.77 mm

Shape:

Oval Cabochon

Color:

Pink

Clarity:

Translucent

Origin:

Narsaq, Greenland

Treatment:

None (natural)

Price:

SOLD  (but we have others)

Pictures are of the actual gem offered for sale.
Gem images are magnified to show detail.

Tugtupite-003

A rare gem not normally seen this translucent. The second picture shows it glowing bright orange-pink under LW UV and it phosphoresces pale greenish in the dark after SW UV exposure. It also turns darker red after UV exposure.


Tugtupite-004

Gem:

Tugtupite

Stock #:

TUGT-004

Weight:

6.0560 ct

Size:

18.15 x 14.65 x 4.24 mm

Shape:

Triangle Cabochon

Color:

Pink & White

Clarity:

Opaque

Origin:

Narsaq, Greenland

Treatment:

None (natural)

Price:

SOLD  (but we have others)

Pictures are of the actual gem offered for sale.
Gem images are magnified to show detail.

Tugtupite-004

A rare and large gem from Greenland. The second picture shows it glowing bright orange-pink under LW UV and it phosphoresces pale greenish in the dark after SW UV exposure. It also turns darker red after UV exposure.


 


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