Tugtupite
Image: <bdi><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q56247090" class="extiw" title="d:Q56247090"><span title="mineral collector and dealer">Robert M. Lavinsky</span></a></bdi> (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Mineral NameTugtupite
Chemical FormulaNa₄BeAlSi₄O₁₂Cl
Mohs Hardness4
Crystal Systemtetragonal
Streak Colorwhite
Cleavagedistinct on {110}
Fractureuneven to conchoidal
Specific Gravity2.33
Colorspink, magenta, white
Transparencytransparent to translucent
Type LocalityKuannersuit (Kvanefjeld) plateau, Ilimaussaq complex, Narsaq, Kitaa, West Greenland
Mineral GroupTectosilicates
Usesgemstone, collector's item
Associated Mineralsquartz, albite, aegirine, natrolite
Rarityrare
Description
This specimen displays vivid, irregular patches of bright pink to magenta tugtupite embedded within a white to grayish matrix, likely quartz. The tugtupite areas appear somewhat granular and crystalline.
Geological Context
Tugtupite is a rare beryllium mineral found in highly alkaline igneous rocks, particularly in pegmatites and hydrothermal veins within peralkaline intrusive complexes like the Ilimaussaq intrusion.
