greutile

Greutile is a fictional mineral described in speculative mineralogy and world-building as a green-tinted titanium oxide mineral. It is not recognized by official mineral databases. The name combines "green" with the suffix -utile, reflecting its imagined resemblance to rutile (TiO2) but with a green coloration produced by dopants such as chromium or vanadium.

Chemistry and structure: Greutile is described as a doped rutile-type oxide with approximate composition (Ti1−x Crx)O2 or (Ti1−x Vx)O2, where small amounts of Cr3+ or V3+ introduce color changes that yield a green hue. It would crystallize in the tetragonal system like rutile, with similar lattice parameters.

Physical properties and identification: Greutile is envisaged to have a green to olive color, adamantine to subadamantine luster, a Mohs hardness of about 6–6.5, and a density around 4.2 g/cm3. Cleavage is poor; fractures are uneven. Identification in practice would rely on X-ray diffraction showing rutile-like structure, plus microprobe analysis confirming dopant content, and Raman spectroscopy matching rutile signatures.

Occurrence and associations: In fiction, greutile is described as forming during high-temperature metamorphism in silicate-rich rocks, often with rutile, ilmenite, titanite, and garnet as associates. It is sometimes proposed as a potential gem-quality variety in speculative geology.

Uses and significance: As a hypothetical mineral, greutile serves as a teaching example of doped oxide minerals and color mechanisms, and as a narrative device in world-building.