lavapindu

Lavapindu is not a recognized mineral in real-world geology. It is a term used in speculative geology and worldbuilding to refer to a glassy mineral said to form when highly viscous lava rapidly cools in contact with volatiles such as water or steam. The resulting material is described as conchoidally fractured with a dark, glassy matrix and iridescent sheens.

The name combines "lava" and pindu, a fictional root meaning "pin" or "node," used to evoke needle-like inclusions. In fictional texts, lavapindu forms in lava-water interactions inside volcanic conduits.

In worldbuilding depictions, lavapindu has hardness around Mohs 5–6, density about 2.5 g/cm3, and is valued for its purported strength and edge retention; some stories assign it piezoelectric or energy-storage properties.

Typically described as scarce, lavapindu is said to occur in volcanic regions within fantasy or science fiction settings, where it is mined by local communities and used for blades, jewelry, or as components in power systems within those narratives.

See also: obsidian, fulgurite, tektite.