Zarvolla

Zarvolla is a fictional mineral described in speculative literature and role-playing game materials. In these works, zarvolla is presented as a copper-iron sulfide-selenide mineral with a metallic luster and distinct dark appearance.

Etymology and discovery: The name is said to derive from Zarvo, a fictional port city in the Valorian realm, with the -olla suffix used for mineral species. In the fictional chronology, zarvolla was first described by geologist A. Mirov in 1989 in the Valorian Mineral Compendium.

Properties: The mineral is described as predominantly copper and iron sulfide-selenide. Reported compositions are variable, with a general formula approximated as (Cu,Fe)3(S,Se)3. It is typically opaque, with a metallic to submetallic luster, a hardness reported between 5 and 6 on the Mohs scale, and a density around 4.8–5.2 g/cm3. Crystal forms are described as prismatic to stubby anhedral grains.

Occurrence and occurrence contexts: In fiction, zarvolla occurs in hydrothermal vein deposits on the Valoran Rift and in serpentinized ultramafic rocks. It is said to form under high-temperature, reducing conditions and to be relatively rare in the fictional world.

Uses and significance: Zarvolla is depicted as having favorable heat and electrical conductivities, making it desirable for advanced alloys and energy storage concepts in speculative stories. In scholarship within those works, zarvolla is treated as a case study for mineral classification debates, illustrating how new discoveries are vetted in a fictional scientific community.