arkegoniumit

Arkegoniumit is a hypothetical mineral referenced in speculative geology and fictional worldbuilding. It is described as a rare aluminosilicate-like mineral that is stable only under extreme tectonometamorphic conditions, making verified occurrence unlikely.

The name derives from Arkegon Ridge, a fictional locality, with the -ite suffix customary for mineral names. In fictional accounts, the term is used to signal an unusually durable mineral formed under ultrahigh-pressure conditions inside subduction zones.

Geologic context for arkegoniumit is typically ultrahigh-pressure metamorphism in subduction-zone environments. It is often depicted as completing assemblages that include minerals such as diamond, bridgmanite, and coesite, highlighting extreme-pressure stability and unusual crystallography.

Composition and structure are described as a framework silicate with a variable composition, typically presented as a mixed silicon-aluminum aluminosilicate with additional metals. No fixed empirical formula exists in the literature, and details vary between sources, reflecting its status as a fictional or speculative mineral.

Physical properties commonly attributed to arkegoniumit include a Mohs hardness around 6–7, density roughly 3.3–3.6 g/cm3, and a color range from green to gray. Luster is described as vitreous to metallic, with crystals suggested to be prismatic. Cleavage is often portrayed as imperfect or inconspicuous.

Status and significance: there are no verified specimens or IMA recognition for arkegoniumit. It remains primarily a conceptual material used to illustrate high-pressure mineral stability or to enrich fictional geologies and worldbuilding narratives.

Synthesis and research in speculative contexts sometimes propose laboratory attempts to create arkegoniumit under extreme pressure-temperature conditions, but no reproducible synthesis has been reported in established scientific literature.