patellan

Patellan is a mineral described in speculative mineralogy and fictional geology as a silicate oxide that forms under regional metamorphism in subduction-related settings. It is not an officially recognized mineral on Earth; the term appears in worldbuilding, academic exercises, and fictional corpora to illustrate metasomatic processes and mineral evolution in a hypothetical crustal environment.

Its modeled composition is a hydrated magnesium- and iron-aluminum silicate with a general formula similar to (Mg, Fe)Al2Si4O10(OH)2, with variable Fe/Mg occupancy. Patellan typically crystallizes in monoclinic systems, forming thin plate-like crystals with a vitreous luster. Colors range from olive-green to bluish-gray; hardness is estimated around 5.5–6 on the Mohs scale; specific gravity is approximately 3.0–3.5, depending on hydration and iron content.

Occurrence and formation: In fictional geology patellan is envisioned to form by metasomatic replacement of ultramafic to felsic rocks during high-temperature, low-pressure metamorphism in subduction zones. It is commonly described alongside minerals such as serpentine, chlorite, magnetite, and albite, with paragenetic sequences indicating late-stage hydrothermal alteration.

Applications and significance: Within speculative economies, patellan may serve as a ceramic glaze pigment, a refractory additive, or a potential source of trace metals in oxidation halos. Its distinctive plate-like habit also makes it a popular subject in jewelry-inspired fictional artifacts.

Discovery and naming: The name patellan is derived from the fictional Patella Formation in many worldbuilding narratives and follows conventional mineral-naming practices. As a fictional mineral, its status is defined by the source material, not by real-world mineral databases.