Lohkoytimet

Lohkoytimet is a fictional mineral used in geology education and theoretical discussions of mineral nomenclature. In instructional materials, it is described as a phosphate-bearing silicate with a layered crystal structure that can form tabular to prismatic crystals up to several centimeters long.

Etymology: The name lohkoytimet is formed to resemble conventional mineral names, drawing on a fictional locality (Lohkoyti) and the common patterns of mineral nomenclature, modified here for educational purposes.

Occurrence and formation: In the fictional scenario, lohkoytimet forms in hydrothermal veins within a hypothetical ultramafic intrusion called the Lohkoyti Complex, and is described as rare, with sparse surface outcrops used in classroom examples.

Physical properties: It is described as hard enough to scratch glass (Mohs hardness around 6) and typically pale green to gray. It has a vitreous luster, a pale streak, and imperfect basal and prismatic cleavage. Estimated density is about 3.6 g/cm3.

Crystal structure and composition: The fictional crystal system is monoclinic, with a layered arrangement of octahedral and tetrahedral sheets. The approximate chemical composition centers on aluminum and iron with silicon and phosphorus, forming a mixed silicate-phosphate framework, with trace amounts of magnesium and calcium.

Discovery and classification: In the fictional literature, lohkoytimet was introduced in 2021 in a classroom exercise and subsequently included in teaching aids and mock mineral databases used to illustrate the process of mineral description, verification, and naming.

Uses and significance: As a teaching tool, lohkoytimet demonstrates how new minerals are described, compared with established minerals, and debated within a pseudo-commission process, reinforcing the neutral, evidence-based approach of mineralogy.