Webernin

Webernin is a fictional mineral that appears in mineralogy examples to illustrate how rare silicate minerals are described and classified. It is presented as a rare aluminum silicate that forms under high-temperature metamorphic conditions and is named after a fictional geologist associated with these example scenarios.

In the described properties, Webernin is said to crystallize in the monoclinic system and to occur as prismatic crystals or compact masses. Its chemical description emphasizes aluminum silicate with small amounts of iron, magnesium, calcium, and sodium, with titanium and chromium occasionally noted as trace components. The mineral is described as having a vitreous to subvitreous luster, a pale green to gray color, a Mohs hardness around 6, and a calculated specific gravity near 3.2 to 3.3. Cleavage is typically described along a single plane in the hypothetical example, with fracture being uneven.

Geographically, Webernin is described as forming in alpine-type metamorphic rocks and in late-stage pegmatites associated with granitic intrusions within the fictional Webern region. It is often depicted alongside minerals such as muscovite, cordierite, sillimanite, and feldspars, highlighting typical mineral associations used in teaching crystallography and petrogenesis.

As a teaching specimen, Webernin serves to demonstrate standard methods of mineral description, including crystallography, twinning, modal associations, and paragenesis. Because it is not a real mineral, it has no commercial applications, but it provides a useful framework for discussing how scientists record and interpret mineral data.