flakinessia

Flakinessia is a fictional mineral characterized by ultra-thin platelets that cleave readily into flexible sheets, giving it a distinctive flaky habit. In hand specimens it ranges from pale to colorless and typically displays a pearly to vitreous luster.

Discovery and naming: It was first described in 2032 by researchers exploring the fictional Flake Range. The name derives from its habitual fragmentation into thin flakes, and the type material is archived at the National Museum of Mineralogy.

Composition and properties: Flakinessia is described as a layered silicate with variable alkali and alkaline-earth contents. It has a low hardness of about 2–3 on the Mohs scale, perfect cleavage in one direction, and low to moderate density. It can show iridescence when sliced into thin sections.

Occurrence: It forms through low-temperature hydrothermal alteration of feldspathic rocks, often in shear zones within metamorphosed shales, and is commonly found alongside talc, mica, or serpentine.

Uses and research: While not produced commercially, the flaky habit has drawn interest for potential use as lightweight fillers in composite materials and as a model system for studying layered silicates. Experimental work has produced nano-scale analogs that resemble natural flakinessia.

Safety and status: Flakinessia remains a scientific curiosity with limited material availability; there are no described hazards beyond standard mineral-handling precautions.