Tugtupite
Image: <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:G%C3%A9ry_PARENT&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="User:Géry PARENT (page does not exist)">Géry PARENT</a> (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Mineral NameTugtupite
Chemical FormulaNa₄BeAlSi₄O₁₂Cl
Mohs Hardness4.5
Crystal Systemtetragonal
Lustervitreous
Streak Colorwhite
Cleavagedistinct on {100} and {001}
Fractureconchoidal
Specific Gravity2.34
Colorspink, red, white, colorless
Transparencytransparent
Type LocalityTunulliarfik Fjord, Ilímaussaq complex, Narsaq, Kujalleq, Greenland, Denmark
Mineral GroupSilicates
Usesjewelry, collector
Associated Mineralsalbite, analcime, aegirine, natrolite, chkalovite, ussingite
Rarityrare
Description
This specimen displays a vibrant pinkish-red tugtupite embedded within a lighter, off-white to cream-colored matrix, with scattered dark grey to black mineral inclusions.
Geological Context
Tugtupite is a rare beryllium tectosilicate found in agpaitic nepheline syenite intrusions, typically occurring in pegmatites and hydrothermal veins associated with highly alkaline igneous rocks.
