Zahladit

Zahladit is a fictional mineral commonly cited in speculative geology and worldbuilding. It is not recognized as a real mineral in established scientific literature. In many narratives, zahladit appears as a rare, aesthetically striking phase that forms under extreme metamorphic or hydrothermal conditions.

Description and properties: In these works zahladit is described as a largely transparent to translucent aluminosilicate or silicate mineral with a vitreous to pearly luster. Crystals are often described as prismatic or tabular, with a hexagonal or orthorhombic habit. Reported color ranges include pale blue, gray, and iridescent hues. Reported hardness on the Mohs scale is around 6 to 7, and it displays strong pleochroism.

Occurrence and formation: Zahladit is said to occur in high-grade metamorphic belts or deep hydrothermal veins in a fictional Zahl region. It is commonly associated with minerals such as garnet, kyanite, and sillimanite, and is thought to crystallize from silica-rich fluids during peak metamorphism.

Etymology and history: The mineral is named after a fictional field geologist, Dr. H. Zahl, who is depicted as describing the mineral's distinctive crystal habit. The name has since appeared in several worldbuilding compendia and maps.

Uses and significance: In fiction, zahladit is valued for its aesthetic sheen and proposed as a photonic or energy-storage material due to alleged unique emission lines. It is also depicted as a symbol of a region's geological history. In real science, zahladit remains a fictional construct and is not listed in mineral databases.