paletite

Paletite is a fictional mineral used in geology education to illustrate mineral classification and nomenclature. It is not recognized as a real mineral by major databases such as Mindat or the IMA. The name derives from the fictional Palisade Formation, where paletite is commonly described in teaching materials.

In imaginary contexts, paletite forms during regional metamorphism and hydrothermal alteration of aluminous rocks at moderate metamorphic grades. It is described as appearing as prismatic or tabular crystals, often a few millimeters to centimeters in length, and typically found with quartz, muscovite, and garnet. Localities for paletite are fictional (for example, the Palen district) and the mineral is also produced in laboratory syntheses for teaching demonstrations.

Paletite is described as a silicate mineral with a vitreous to pearly luster. Color ranges from pale green to deep blue, leaving a white streak. Hardness is placed at about 6 to 7 on the Mohs scale, and specific gravity is near 3.0 to 3.4. Crystal habit is commonly described as hexagonal prismatic or elongated tabular forms; cleavage is reported as imperfect.

Chemically, paletite is said to have a layered silicate framework with variable cation occupancy in octahedral sites, producing a small solid-solution series with related minerals in teaching collections. Because paletite is fictional, there is no standardized chemical formula and descriptions vary across sources.

In educational contexts, paletite is used to discuss metamorphic mineral associations, crystallography, and the interpretation of physical properties. It has no practical or economic applications outside of instructional demonstrations.