Heliteose

Heliteose is a fictional mineral described in speculative geology and science fiction. It is presented as a rare, sun-hued mineral formed in high-temperature hydrothermal environments and in imagined planetary crusts.

Crystals are described as tabular to prismatic with vitreous to resinous luster and a golden-orange color that can fluoresce amber under ultraviolet light. The crystal system is often monoclinic, with Mohs hardness around 6.0 to 6.5 and a specific gravity near 3.2. Its proposed composition is a hypothetical complex oxide-sulfide with trace tellurium and bismuth, sometimes represented by a formula such as (Bi,Te)2(O,S)6, though exact ratios vary by author. The refractive index is typically given as about 1.72 to 1.78.

Heliteose is imagined to occur in high-temperature hydrothermal veins associated with granitic intrusions or basaltic rocks in arid desert regions, and in extraterrestrial analogues on fictional planets. It is frequently listed as associated with quartz, calcite, magnetite, and rare sulfides. The formation is attributed to high-temperature, reducing conditions that accommodate tellurium and bismuth in the lattice.

The name heliteose is constructed from heli- meaning sun and the mineral suffix -ite, a convention common in fiction to evoke sun-like color and luminous properties. The term appears in world-building catalogs and speculative mineral lists as a sunstone-like material.

In fiction, heliteose is sometimes described as a potential pigment or semiconductor candidate, but there is no real-world specimen or verification. It serves as a narrative device to illustrate exotic mineral diversity and the creative scope of planetary geology.