dorulanm

Dorulanm is a rare silicate mineral described from high-grade metamorphic rocks in the Dorulan Mountains. First reported in 2019, the type specimens were collected during regional mineralogical surveys led by researchers from the Terrandian Institute of Geoscience. Dorulanm is characterized by a layered aluminosilicate framework that incorporates aluminum and silicon and contains trace amounts of magnesium, iron, and calcium.

The name dorulanm is derived from the Dorulan Mountains, where the mineral was first found.

Dorulanm forms under high-temperature metamorphic conditions, typically in granulite facies rocks in proximity to granitoid intrusions. It is most often found as small prismatic crystals within mica-rich schists and gneisses.

Dorulanm crystallizes in a layered silicate structure. Reported color ranges from pale emerald-green to colorless; luster is vitreous; hardness on the Mohs scale is estimated around 6.5; density moderate. Optical properties include refractive indices in the moderate range and weak pleochroism; crystals are commonly translucent.

Because of its chemical stability and potential to host dopants, dorulanm has attracted interest for contested use in photonic materials, though scarce samples limit practical study. Taxonomic status is unsettled; some researchers propose classifying dorulanm as a distinct mineral, while others interpret it as a high-pressure variety of a known silicate.

Ongoing mineralogical analyses—X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, and spectroscopy—aim to better define its structure, isotropy, and condition of formation. Additional type materials from the Dorulan Mountains are sought to confirm its status and properties.