elanikute

Elanikute is a fictional mineral described in speculative mineralogy and science fiction contexts as a rare aluminum silicate that forms in hydrothermal veins within metamorphic rocks. It is not recognized by major mineral databases and there are no verified natural specimens. The term is commonly used in educational materials and world-building scenarios to illustrate mineral classification, crystal habit, and the interplay of hydrothermal processes with metamorphism.

In the fictional accounts, elanikute crystallizes in the hexagonal system and commonly forms slender prismatic crystals up to several centimeters in length. Crystals are typically pale yellow to colorless, with a vitreous to adamantine luster and transparent to translucent appearance. The proposed chemical composition is predominantly aluminum and silicon with oxygen, with trace amounts of iron and titanium. Reported physical properties include a Mohs hardness around 6.0–6.5, minimal porosity, and a reported specific gravity near 3.1–3.3. It is said to occur with quartz, muscovite, tourmaline, and garnet in hydrothermal halos.

The name elanikute follows mineral-nomenclature conventions with the suffix -ite and is said to derive from a fictional locality or from the creator's name in various stories. Since elanikute is not real, discussions about it appear primarily in teaching exercises, fictional world-building, and speculative geology literature rather than in peer-reviewed mineral data.