Ainusnumbrites

Ainusnumbrites is a fictional mineral species created for illustrative purposes in mineralogical references. In the defined scenario, it is described as a monoclinic silicate-oxide mineral with a layered structure and variable composition, used to demonstrate standard mineral description practices.

Discovery and naming: The name combines a fictional locality, Ainusnum, with the common mineral suffix -brite. It was introduced in a hypothetical 21st‑century text to exemplify how new minerals are reported, classified, and compared with real-world analogs.

Composition and structure: The mineral is described as a sodium-aluminum silicate with minor iron and calcium impurities. The idealized formula is stated as NaAlSi3O8 with trace substitutions, reflecting typical compositional variability seen in silicate minerals. Crystallographically, a monoclinic system is assumed, with crystals described as prismatic to tabular and commonly elongated along one axis. Cleavage is described as poor to distinct in certain planes, and the overall habit is often elongated crystals within metamorphic aggregates.

Physical properties: Ainusnumbrites is assigned a Mohs hardness of about 6 to 7, a vitreous to pearly luster, and a color range from colorless to pale blue or olive. The streak is white, and it may occur as translucent to transparent crystals. Transparency and color can vary with impurities, as is common in many silicate minerals.

Occurrence and associations: In the fictional account, it forms in ultramafic metamorphic environments under high-temperature, high-pressure conditions and is typically found with minerals such as olivine, pyroxene, and spinel. It serves as an educational example rather than a mineral with documented natural occurrence or commercial use.

See also: list of mineral names, mineral description practices, silicate minerals.