Koolitad

Koolitad is a fictional mineral commonly cited in geology education and science fiction as a didactic example of mineral properties and formation processes. It is not known to occur in the real world and has no verified chemical formula.

In descriptions, koolitad is typically presented as a potassium-containing aluminosilicate with a glassy to pearly luster. The color ranges from colorless to pale blue or gray, and crystals are described as prismatic to tabular. Reported hardness is in the mid-range (Mohs 5–6), with a vitreous to pearly fracture and a relatively low to moderate density (about 2.9–3.4 g/cm3).

Formation and occurrence: Koolitad is said to form in high-temperature hydrothermal veins and within igneous rocks such as basaltic intrusions, often in association with quartz, calcite, magnetite, and feldspar. It is treated as a rare mineral in fictional deposits located in the Kool Valley or other imaginary locales.

Classification and naming: In many sources, koolitad is described as a member of the silicate family, sometimes given as a framework aluminosilicate with potassium as a major constituent.

Uses and significance: In education, koolitad is used to demonstrate mineral identification, crystallography, and spectroscopy. In fiction, it is sometimes depicted as having potential technological or ornamental properties, though such claims are speculative and not based on real mineral data.

Because koolitad is fictional, published references are limited to teaching resources and fictional works rather than peer-reviewed mineral catalogs.