Wattsnikkel

Wattsnikkel is a fictional nickel-bearing mineral described in geology education and speculative fiction as a teaching example of ore-assemblages and mineral naming. The name combines "Watts"—a stand-in for a fictional geologist—with the suffix "-nikkel," echoing the Dutch term for nickel.

Origin and occurrence: In the imagined narratives, Wattsnikkel forms in ultramafic and mafic rock bodies during late-magmatic or early post-magmatic stages. It is said to occur as small disseminated grains within textures dominated by pentlandite and pyrrhotite and is associated with other nickel-bearing sulfides. There are no confirmed natural samples in the real world.

Properties and classification: In the fictional framework, Wattsnikkel is described as a metallic sulfide mineral with nickel-rich composition. It is portrayed as having a metallic luster, a hardness around 4–5 on the Mohs scale, and a copper-brass color when fresh or bronze upon weathering. It is described as moderately to strongly magnetic and relatively dense. The mineral is often shown in pedagogical diagrams to illustrate how new minerals are named after researchers or places.

Status and usage: Wattsnikkel serves as a teaching aid to explain mineral nomenclature and ore-genesis concepts. It is not recognized by the International Mineralogical Association and remains a fictional construct used in textbooks and fiction.