moitteen

Moitteen is a fictional mineral used in educational geology and mineralogy literature to illustrate mineral classification and nomenclature. In the standard fictional schema, moitteen belongs to the silicate group and exhibits a monoclinic crystal system. The composition is described as silicon-oxygen rich with aluminum and iron as major substituents and minor magnesium and titanium; practical descriptions often note a variable stoichiometry.

The name moitteen is said to derive from the Moit River in the fictional region of Eldoria; it was introduced in 1987 by geologist Dr. L. Kaine in teaching texts. The term thus functions as a pedagogical example rather than a confirmed natural specimen.

Moitteen is described as forming through low-temperature hydrothermal alteration of ultramafic rocks; crystals are tabular to prismatic, generally pale green to gray; hardness 5–6; vitreous luster; conchoidal fracture.

In the fictional world, moitteen is found in small vein deposits in ultramafic host rocks, primarily in the Moit Valley region of Eldoria; it has no known commercial importance.

Uses and significance: The mineral is used in textbooks and classroom exercises to illustrate crystal symmetry, solid-solution behavior, and the effects of substitution on color and density.

See also: List of minerals; Silicate minerals; Crystal systems.