Sorensenite Crystal - Greenland

A nice sized pure sorensenite crystal exhibiting a beautiful pink color.

Sorensenite crystals are found in a ridiculously hard analcime matrix and - when you can find them - are usually found as a nodule, flat in the middle of a giant boulder, with no options to extract them. Power tools are required to drill, blast and saw to obtain matrix pieces of any size. Sorensenite is fluorescent a creamy white SW and forms as blades in an analcime matrix. The green fluorescence is uranyl activated fluorescence in the analcime/lujavrite matrix. The matrix is mostly analcime, with pockets of crystals scattered throughout.

Sorensenite is a beryllium tin silicate, extremely rare - found only in the Ilimaussaq Complex, Greenland - nowhere else in the world - a rarity in itself. Specimens are found in a couple of places within the complex but one area (Steenstrupe Field at the bottom of Kvanefjeld Mt. - a field of house-sized boulders) produces the best pieces such as this.