tasoite

Tasoite is a fictional mineral commonly used in geoscience education and speculative literature. It is not recognized by the International Mineralogical Association (IMA) and has no verified natural occurrence.

In teaching descriptions, tasoite is depicted as a hydrated calcium aluminum silicate with an approximate chemical formula of CaAl2Si2O9·2H2O. It is said to crystallize in the monoclinic system and to exhibit a vitreous (glassy) luster. These details are intended for classroom illustration and do not reflect an actual mineral sample.

Typical physical properties attributed to tasoite in educational materials include a Mohs hardness near 6, a color range from pale green to colorless, and a vitreous to translucent appearance. The streak is usually described as white. Because tasoite is fictional, reported densities and refractive indices vary by source and are used primarily for instructional examples.

Occurrence and production in the fictional context usually involve laboratory synthesis for demonstrations. In some narratives, tasoite is described as forming under hydrothermal conditions or in ultramafic and metamorphic settings as a teaching ideal, but such occurrences are not validated in real-world geology.

Etymology and history typically credit the name to a fictional mineralogist or sponsor associated with educational materials. As a construct, tasoite serves to illustrate crystallography, silicate chemistry, and mineral identification techniques without representing a real mineral specimen.

See also: Mineral, Silicate minerals, IMA, Geology education.