Anritega

Anritega is a fictional mineral described in speculative geology and science fiction. In these narratives, it is a rare aluminosilicate with a layered, micaceous habit and a distinctive blue-green color that shifts under different lighting. The term is a constructed name rather than a designation of a real mineral species.

It is imagined to crystallize in monoclinic systems with a Mohs hardness around 5.5–6.5, a vitreous to pearly luster, and a refractive index near 1.60–1.70. It is described as forming in hydrothermal veins within metamorphosed carbonate rocks, typically from silica-rich fluids at temperatures between 200 and 350 degrees Celsius under moderate pressures. It is often associated with quartz, zeolites, and clays.

Because of its fictional properties, some worldbuilders ascribe to anritega a mild piezoelectric response and luminescence under ultraviolet light, suggesting potential uses in decorative ceramics or hypothetical micro-sensors. In story contexts, its scarcity and the challenges of extraction drive economic or geopolitical plots.

Origin of the term is attributed to early 21st-century writers and game designers in various regions; there is no real etymology linked to a natural mineral.

Related topics in fiction include fictional minerals and worldbuilding resources.