Ininerin

Ininerin is a fictional mineral described in speculative mineralogy and science fiction literature. It is not recognized by real-world mineralogical authorities and there is no verified occurrence in nature.

Name and classification: The name ininerin appears in multiple fictional catalogs; there is no standardized etymology outside those works, and some authors treat it as a silicate-oxide or an indium-bearing mineral, but these classifications vary by author.

Occurrence and formation: In fiction, ininerin is said to form in high-temperature, volatile-rich environments such as deep plutonic veins, subducted oceanic crust, or meteoritic bodies subjected to metamorphism. It is often described as occurring with indium- or rare-earth–bearing phases.

Physical properties: Descriptions in the stories describe ininerin as a brittle to moderately hard mineral with a pale green to yellow color, a sometimes resinous or submetallic luster, and crystallization in a monoclinic or orthorhombic system. Reported Mohs hardness ranges from 5 to 6; refractive index and density vary by author.

Uses and significance: In fictional contexts, ininerin is portrayed as a specialized semiconductor or photonic material with unique charge transport or optical properties, making it valuable for advanced technologies in those universes. Its rarity and fictional extraction methods drive plot dynamics in some works.

See also: fictional minerals; mineralogy in fiction; indium in fiction.