osviitan

Osviitan is a fictional mineral described in speculative geology and science fiction. It is characterized as a rare hexagonal silicate-oxide mineral with a blue-green color and a high luster. The concept is used to illustrate mineralogical processes under extreme Earth-like or extraterrestrial conditions.

The idealized formula is Os2SiO6 with substitutions of vanadium and titanium in octahedral sites, and the crystal system is hexagonal, space group P63/m. The structure centers on a silicon-oxygen framework with osmium-rich octahedra occupying interstices.

Osviitan is described as having Mohs hardness 6.5–7, density 9.2–9.6 g/cm3, and a refractive index around 1.75–1.85. It is typically transparent to translucent, with strong anisotropy giving a noticeable pleochroism.

In fictional accounts, osviitan forms in ultramafic xenoliths within subduction-related ophiolites on oceanic plates or planetary crusts, where osmium-rich fluids interact with silicate melts under high pressure and temperature.

The mineral is named after the hypothetical Osvi Ridge locality and described in speculative literature in the early 2010s by researchers exploring extreme geologies.

In fiction and theoretical discussions, osviitan is proposed for photonic applications and durable high-temperature ceramics due to its refractive properties and chemical stability, though no real-world production exists.