Tugtupite is a rare beryllium silicate known for its remarkable tenebrescence, where its pink color deepens upon exposure to sunlight. Collectors primarily seek it for its intense, glowing fluorescence under ultraviolet light. It is almost exclusively found in highly specialized alkaline igneous complexes.
Is this tugtupite?
5-step field checkRun through these checks against the specimen in your hand. The more boxes tick, the more confident the ID.
- 1Test the hardnessTry to scratch tugtupite with a known reference. Tugtupite sits at Mohs 4 — softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Tugtupite leaves a white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Tugtupite typically shows a vitreous luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: pink, red, white, gray, green.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: tetragonal. Typical habit: massive, granular, or rare prismatic crystals.
Often confused with
Tugtupite vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside tugtupite
Minerals reported to co-occur with tugtupite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Na₄AlBeSi₄O₁₂Cl
- Mohs hardness
- 4
- Density
- 2.36 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Translucent
- Crystal system
- Tetragonal
- Crystal habit
- Massive, Granular, Or Rare Prismatic Crystals
- Cleavage
- Poor
- Fluorescence
- Intense Salmon-red Under SW and LW UV
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector, Lapidary, Gemstone
- Host rock
- Nepheline Syenite Pegmatites
- Typical price
- $50-500 per gram for high-quality specimens
Where rockhounds find tugtupite
Classic worldwide localities
- Ilimaussaq complex, Greenland
- Kola Peninsula, Russia
- Mont Saint-Hilaire, Canada
Field-hunting tip
Look in nepheline syenite pegmatites country — that is the host setting where tugtupite typically forms. If you start seeing albite, aegirine, arfvedsonite in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a massive, granular, or rare prismatic crystals habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
Common questions
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Find tugtupite on the map
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