aurumisel

Aurumisel is a term used in speculative mineralogy to describe a hypothetical gold-rich intermetallic phase. It is not an established mineral species; there is no verified natural specimen, and the name is not recognized by major mineralogical databases such as the IMA or Mindat.

In theoretical accounts, aurumisel is proposed as a gold-dominated intermetallic compound with variable composition, often described as containing gold bonded with silicon or tellurium, yielding a formula near AuSi or AuTe2 depending on conditions. The crystal structure is uncertain in these models, with suggested hexagonal or tetragonal lattices in some simulations.

Properties of aurumisel are described as metallic luster with a golden color and a density approximately that of gold; hardness would depend on the specific alloying and microstructure, and the material would be opaque. Because aurumisel is not experimentally verified, its properties remain speculative and model-dependent.

Occurrence and formation are likewise speculative. Aurumisel is predicted to form under high-temperature, high-pressure hydrothermal or magmatic differentiation conditions, but no confirmed natural samples have been reported. It is sometimes invoked in fictional planetary geology and hypothetical geochemical scenarios.

Synthesis and testing in laboratory settings propose producing aurumisel by high-temperature alloying of gold with silicon or other metalloids. Identification would rely on techniques such as X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy, with chemical tests often inconclusive due to its hypothetical nature.

Etymology and usage: the name derives from aurum, the Latin word for gold, and the suffix -isel, used in some mineral-naming conventions for intermetallics. In practice, aurumisel remains a concept primarily found in fiction and speculative discussions rather than an established mineral.