Carbonateilla

Carbonateilla is a proposed mineral name that has appeared in discussions of carbonate mineralogy. It is described as a carbonate species within the calcite–dolomite family, defined by a solid solution between calcium-dominant carbonate and magnesium- or iron-dominant end-members, with a general chemical formula expressed as (Ca,Mg,Fe)CO3. The name is formed from the core chemical feature, carbonate, with the diminutive suffix -illa.

In crystallography, carbonateilla is discussed as belonging to the calcite group, which typically crystallizes in a trigonal (rhombohedral) system and exhibits rhombohedral cleavage. In proposed descriptions, carbonateilla would be expected to form under conditions that promote carbonate precipitation in carbonate-rich rocks, often in hydrothermal veins or diagenetic environments, and it may occur together with other carbonate minerals such as calcite, dolomite, and siderite.

Physical properties are generalized from related carbonates. Carbonate minerals in this family commonly show a Mohs hardness around 3, a vitreous to pearly luster, and a translucent to opaque appearance with a range of colors from colorless to pale hues influenced by trace elements. Cleavage and optical properties would be consistent with the calcite–dolomite group, including potential birefringence in transparent specimens.

Etymology reflects its chemical basis and diminutive naming convention. As of the current mineralogical literature, carbonateilla is not universally recognized as an officially approved mineral species and is not widely listed in major mineral databases or by the International Mineralogical Association. It remains a term of reference in some discussions of carbonate chemistry rather than a formally established mineral.