lidaranturit

Lidaranturit is a fictional mineral species used in educational materials to illustrate the structure and properties of layered lithium-aluminosilicates. In this model, it is described as a lithium-rich aluminosilicate with alternating sheets of lithium-bearing tetrahedra and aluminosilicate layers.

Chemically it is said to comprise primarily lithium, aluminum, silicon, and oxygen, with minor amounts of magnesium and trace rare-earth elements. Crystallizing in the monoclinic system, lidaranturit is depicted as forming prismatic crystals with a vitreous to pearly luster, ranging in color from pale green to pale amber. Mohs hardness is placed around 5.5–6, and it is transparent to translucent depending on crystal thickness.

The structure is described as consisting of alternating Li-bearing tetrahedral layers and aluminosilicate sheets, giving it a two-dimensional character that affects its optical and mechanical behavior. In the fictional setting, Lidaranturit is said to form during regional metamorphism in subduction-zone environments and to occur with other lithium-bearing minerals in a hypothetical deposit within the Lidar Range.

The name is derived from the fictional Lidar region and the common mineral suffix -urit, reflecting its imagined origin and silicate composition. Because it is not known to exist in nature, lidaranturit has no mining value, but it serves as a teaching example for crystallography, geology of lithium-rich minerals, and high-temperature silicate behavior.