verorasitus

Verorasitus is a fictional mineral described in speculative geology and science fiction contexts. It is defined as a hydrated silicate-phosphate mineral notable for iridescent inclusions and a distinctive prismatic habit. The term is used in worldbuilding to illustrate mineral diversity on speculative worlds.

The mineral was first described in the Veroran Belt, a fictional mountain range, and was named in honor of the fictional planet Verora.

Crystals are slender prisms up to several centimeters long, with colors ranging from pale emerald to deep sapphire. It has a vitreous lustre, Mohs hardness around 5.5–6.0, and a density near 3.2–3.6 g/cm3. Inclusions occasionally luminesce under ultraviolet light.

Verorasitus forms through high-temperature alteration of feldspathoids in hydrothermal veins within ultramafic rocks, and is often associated with serpentine, magnetite, and sulfide phases. In the fictional record it occurs in fractures in tectonically active regions.

In fiction, it is explored for potential piezoelectric and luminescent properties and proposed as a candidate material for energy storage or light-emitting devices. Geologists study it as a model of mineral formation under extreme conditions.

The name combines Verora with situs, meaning location. It is not recognized in real-world mineral nomenclature and has no standing outside the fictional context.