Information about Tuperssuatsiaite

Tuperssuatsiaite typically forms as fan-shaped aggregates, fibres, or rosettes, often with thin acicular (needle-like) or bladed crystals.

Its colour ranges from dark to light red-brown, golden-yellow, brownish, and occasionally greenish depending on locality and minor substitutions. Specimens are transparent to translucent; aggregates may appear dull or silky. Its lustre is vitreous (glassy), especially on crystal faces.

Uses and History

Because of its rarity, Tuperssuatsiaite has no industrial application. It is valued chiefly by mineral collectors and researchers. It is useful in geological studies, particularly in understanding the mineralogy of late-stage, low-temperature hydrothermal veins in alkaline rocks.

Discovered in 1984 at Tuperssuatsiat Bay in the Ilímaussaq complex, Greenland, Tuperssuatsiaite was named after its type locality. Later occurrences were discovered in Namibia (Aris Quarry) and Brazil (Bortolan Quarry), which allowed more accurate determination of physical and optical properties.

Mineralogy

Hazards and Warnings

Mineral collectors should wash their hands after handling specimens, to avoid any exposure to potential toxins.

Almost all rocks, minerals (and, frankly, almost all other substances on earth) can produce toxic dust when cutting, which can cause serious respiratory conditions including silicosis. When cutting or polishing rocks, minerals, shells, etc, all work should be done wet to minimise the dust, and a suitable respirator or extraction system should be used.

Translations

Further Reading / External Links

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuperssuatsiaite
• https://www.mindat.org/min-4057.html
• https://www.webmineral.com/data/Tuperssuatsiaite.shtml
• https://www.handbookofmineralogy.org/pdfs/tuperssuatsiaite.pdf