Resistite

Resistite is a proposed but not officially recognized mineral name that has appeared in a limited number of geological reports. It has not been approved by the International Mineralogical Association (IMA) as a distinct mineral species, and its status remains uncertain.

Etymology and usage: The name derives from the root resist-, referring to resistance. In informal usage, resistite has been applied to describe a resistant-looking phase described in granulite-facies rocks, as well as a hypothetical high-resistivity silicate-oxide phase observed in some studies.

Occurrence and description: In the available reports, resistite-like material is described as a fine-grained intergrowth with quartz and feldspar within localized metamorphic belts. The descriptions generally lack a complete crystallographic study or a defined chemical formula, which has prevented formal validation as a new mineral species.

Composition and structure: There is no accepted chemical formula or crystal structure for resistite. Reported observations suggest a silicate-oxide–dominant assemblage with variable Mg-Fe content, but without a type specimen or rigorous analysis the composition remains tentative.

Properties and significance: Because resistite is not officially recognized, its physical properties are poorly constrained. Some discussions note potential high refractoriness or unusual resistance to weathering, but these attributes are not standardized or reliably reproducible.

Classification and nomenclature: The status of resistite remains that of a nomenclature placeholder pending detailed petrographic, mineral-chemical, and crystallographic data. If future studies establish a type specimen and a stable formula, the name could be proposed for IMA approval.

See also: mineral nomenclature, IMA, metamorphic minerals.