Veinide

Veinide is a fictional metallic mineral described in speculative geology and science fiction. It is commonly portrayed as forming in hydrothermal veins within granitic or volcanic rocks, where mineral-rich fluids crystallize in fissures to produce conspicuous mineral seams.

In many narratives, veinide occurs alongside quartz, cassiterite, galena, and sphalerite, and is concentrated in extensive ore veins that can extend for hundreds of meters. Its imagined formation can involve high-temperature fluids and rapid cooling, sometimes with the involvement of rare earth or transition metal components that alter its properties.

Physical properties vary by author but typically include a dense, metallic appearance with a steel-blue to gray luster. Reported Mohs hardness is about 5 to 6, and density ranges around 7.5 to 9 g/cm3. Many depictions attribute veinide with advanced electrical or superconducting characteristics at low temperatures, which underpins its use in energy and technology plots in fiction.

Name etymology links the mineral to ore-bearing veins, with Veinide often depicted as one of the most valuable and elusive ores in its fictional setting. While it figures prominently in stories and world-building, veinide is not known to exist in the real world and should be treated as a fictional construct.