Erik Rintamaki, a gem and mineral specialist, made a life-changing discovery in June of last year.
With the use of a UV light, he discovered boulders that shone like lava during a midnight stroll along the edge of Lake Superior. He submitted the “Yooperlites” to Michigan Tech University and the University of Saskatchewan, where it was determined that the rocks were a kind of Syenite containing Sodalite.
The brilliant appearance of the rocks is due to sodalite, which is often found in Canada. Sodalite is normally blue, although the rocks found by Rintamaki were largely granite or basalt. While these stones have theoretically been discovered before, geologists say this is the first time they have been properly analyzed and confirmed.
Rintamaki has made a successful company out of his discoveries. The 43-year-old Brimley native sells the stones he finds for more than $30 per pound and gives tours of the places where they may be located. His social media profiles are brimming with trip images and discoveries made by his group.
Rintamaki named the Yooperlites after the place where they were discovered, the Michigan Upper Peninsula, sometimes known as “Yooper.” Glacial migration has been blamed for the appearance of these stones in Michigan.
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