By Chisom Ibemere
Tugtupite is one of the newly discovered gemstone. It is a sodium aluminium beryllium silicate which originated in Greenland in 1962.
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Tugtupite has varieties of colours which include blue, red, orange, pink and green. It has a mohs hardness of 4-6 , specific gravity of 2.36 with a vitreous lustre. It may be transparent to translucent and are Opaque in high Alkali igneous rocks. Tugtupite has similar crystal properties with Sodalite. It is known as “king of fluorescent minerals” due to its beauty and ultraviolet light.
Tugtupite is a member of Helvine mineral group. It shows higher colour intensity on exposure to ultraviolet light and fades under dark light which may be reversible. It has a distinct cleavage which makes it great in pendants and earrings. Faceted Tugtupite are rare and are essentially cut into cabochons. It gives electrical charge when exposed to pressure.
