clearingile

Clearingile is a fictional mineral that appears in speculative fiction and world-building contexts. Described as rare and possessing distinctive interactions with light and energy, clearingile is often used as a plot device to explain luminescence, catalysis, and information display within various works.

Etymology: The name combines the word clearing, alluding to clarity and cleansing, with the common mineral suffix -ile. The term was first used in a 2012 short story by Mira Calder to denote a crystalline substance with transformative properties.

Physical properties: Clearingile ranges from translucent to opaque, with a glassy to resinous luster. Colors are typically pale blue to olive-green. It has a Mohs hardness around 6.5, refractive index near 1.70–1.75, and a specific gravity about 3.2–3.6. Crystals are commonly prismatic and tetragonal, though bulk forms are frequent in narrative depictions.

Occurrence and formation: In lore, clearingile forms in hydrothermal veins within crystalline metamorphic rocks, especially near tectonic hotspots. It is often found alongside quartz, magnetite, and titanite. Formation is described as driven by silica-rich fluids interacting with iron-bearing walls under reducing, high-temperature conditions.

Uses and significance: In fiction, clearingile serves as a lightweight catalyst for energy systems, a luminescent component for signaling, and a material that can reveal hidden inscriptions when illuminated. Its mining can drive regional economies, while fictional environmental effects range from pollutant cleansing to perceptual changes; scholars in the works sometimes discuss its ethical implications.

See also: fictional minerals such as arcanite, glowstone, and lumicite.