Sodalite and Ussingite, w/ Epistolite - Ilimaussaq Complex, Greenland

Greenland sodalite has a striking fluorescence - probably the brightest in the world. Under longwave it is usually blinding and under SW very bright, but deepens to a rusty orange color on pieces where there is a strong tenebrescence. But unlike Afghan sodalite, Greenland sodalite is usually not phosphorescent. But occasionally we run across a specimen with a strong phosphorescence.

This piece has both ussingite and sodalite that fluoresces the typical orange color. The tenebrescence after exposure to SW UV is remarkable (read more about tenebrescence here (one of the blog articles). the phosphorescence is strong causing some areas of the sodalite to fluoresce white. There's even a small area of tugtupite in the upper middle. The arfvedsonite and epistolite, while quite rare minerals, are not fluorescent. The large pic shows the SW fluorescence while the gallery pics show the other wavelengths, and an animation.