keelendites

Keelendites is the name of a hypothetical mineral used in speculative mineralogy to illustrate standard mineral descriptions. It is not recognized by major mineralogical authorities such as the International Mineralogical Association, and no peer‑reviewed reports confirm its existence.

Etymology typically follows the conventional mineral-naming pattern, with the stem keel- and the -dite suffix.

Descriptions place keelendites as a silicate mineral with alkali and/or alkaline-earth metals. Proposed chemical formulations vary, and crystallographic assignments are uncertain, with sources rendering monoclinic or orthorhombic symmetry.

Reported physical properties range from pale yellow to green in color; luster described as vitreous; transparency from transparent to translucent; hardness around 5–6 on the Mohs scale; and a density near 3.0–3.3 g/cm3.

In speculative geology, keelendites is said to form in high-temperature metamorphic settings or in ultramafic volcanic rocks, often in association with olivine, pyroxene, and other silicates. Localities are fictional.

Status: unverified and primarily of interest as a didactic example in mineralogy. No entries in major databases, and researchers typically treat keelendites as a hypothetical case.