garancit

Garancit is a fictional mineral used in educational contexts to illustrate principles of mineralogy and materials science. It does not correspond to any known natural or synthetic substance.

The name garancit is a neologism formed for instructional purposes; in some treatments it is described as a silicate-oxide mineral, with variable composition that allows practice in phase diagrams. It is commonly categorized in teaching materials as a silicate mineral with a hypothetical chemical formula and a monoclinic crystal system.

Physical properties commonly ascribed in teaching texts include a vitreous to pearly luster, color ranging from pale blue to green, Mohs hardness around 6 to 7, and a specific gravity near 3.2 to 3.5. The crystal habit is typically prismatic, and it may exhibit conchoidal to uneven fracture in different descriptions.

Occurrence and formation are described as hydrothermal veins or metamorphic environments; in simulations, garancit forms under moderate temperatures and low to moderate pressures with aqueous fluids containing silicon and aluminum. Because it is fictional, the exact conditions vary across sources, but the examples are designed to support discussions of mineral stability and phase relationships.

Applications include classroom demonstrations of crystal structure, mineral identification, and materials science simulations. It is also used in fiction and world-building as a stable, non-toxic reference mineral to illustrate identification challenges and method limitations in mineralogy.