Huovan

Huovan is a fictional mineral created for use in speculative fiction and worldbuilding. It is described in various narratives as a rare silicate with distinctive color properties and cultural significance. This article summarizes the commonly described attributes and roles of huovan within those works.

The name huovan is said to derive from the fictional Huovari language spoken by miners in the Xenolith Range; in some texts it appears as an affix or root used in compound terms. The term is not attested outside the fictional setting.

Huovan is described as a silicate mineral with a vitreous to resinous luster. Crystals are pale blue to violet, with a white to pale blue streak. Mohs hardness around 6, conchoidal fracture. It displays pleochroism and color shifts with temperature, moving from blue when cool to violet or red when heated. Its composition is a complex aluminum–magnesium silicate with trace copper and nickel impurities that produce the color.

In the stories, huovan forms in hydrothermal veins within basaltic rocks of the Xenolith Range, often near quartz, magnetite, and serpentine. Crystals are typically small, though rare pockets yield specimens up to several centimeters.

Huovan is prized for jewelry, inlays, and decorative carvings. It is also mentioned for use in fictional energy or optical devices due to color-changing properties under heat or light. Trade is depicted as lucrative but controlled by mining guilds.

In-world lore, huovan is linked to storytelling and omen traditions; possessing a well-formed crystal is thought to bring clarity or insight in decision making.