Keemilaborites

Keemilaborites is a proposed rare aluminosilicate mineral identified in hydrothermal veins within the Keemi Volcanic Complex. It forms a hydrated silicate framework in which alkali metals and iron occupy interstitial sites, while aluminum and silicon form the tetrahedral network. The name Keemilaborites is derived from the Keemi Laboratory, where the type material was analyzed, combined with the standard mineral suffix -ite.

The discovery was reported in 2018 by a collaborative team from the Keemi Institute of Mineralogy and local field researchers. The holotype specimen is held at the Keemi Museum of Geology.

The mineral is characterized by a monoclinic crystal system, vitreous luster, and a green-to-olive color. On the Mohs scale, its hardness is about 5.5 to 6, and it exhibits cleavage along defined planes that ranges from good to poor. It is typically translucent in thin sections but may appear opaque in larger crystals.

Keemilaborites occurs in hydrothermally altered rhyolitic dikes and veins embedded in peralkaline host rocks, often alongside quartz, chlorite, epidote, and albite. Crystallization is thought to take place at relatively low temperatures and moderate pressures, under acidic, potassium-rich conditions that promote a hydrated silicate framework.

As of the present, Keemilaborites remains a proposed mineral and has not yet been formally approved as a distinct mineral species by the International Mineralogical Association. Further petrographic and structural analyses are required to confirm its status and to establish precise compositional ranges.