plotterit

Plotterit is a fictional mineral created for educational and world-building purposes. It is not a real mineral and does not appear in actual mineral catalogs. The name follows the common mineral-naming convention, with the -it suffix indicating a mineral and the root linking to a fictional plotting tradition in the narrative.

Etymology and naming: The term Plotterit is derived from a hypothetical geologist figure associated with geological plotting and mapping activities in the imagined world. The name is intended to be representative rather than tied to any real source.

Description: In the standard fictional description, plotterit is a medium-weight, opaque to translucent mineral with a vitreous to resinous luster. Color ranges from emerald green to deep brown, depending on trace elements present in the imagined composition. It often forms short prismatic crystals or irregular tabular crystals, typically in hydrothermal veins within metamorphic rocks.

Composition and structure: Plotterit is described as a silicate-like mineral with a framework of silicon-oxygen units and variable cations such as magnesium, iron, or manganese. The exact chemical formula is purposely variable to reflect its fictional nature, serving as a teaching aid about substitution in mineral structures.

Occurrence: In the fictional setting, plotterit occurs primarily in the Plotter Range, a region with hydrothermal activity and quartz-rich host rocks. It is commonly associated with quartz, calcite, and clay minerals.

Properties: Mohs hardness is stated as 5 to 6; color is variable; luster ranges from vitreous to resinous; streak is light gray. Cleavage is imperfect; fracture is conchoidal.

Uses and significance: Within the narrative, plotterit is valued for its color in pigments and for illustrating concepts of mineral substitution in education. It may also appear in mock electronic or optical demonstrations in teaching contexts.