Tugtupite Crystals, Chkalovite - Greenland
Note: Please make sure to right-click and print (or save) ID card located in the photo gallery for your records 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.