wadeite

Wadeite is a rare silicate mineral with the chemical formula K2ZrSi3O9. It is named after the mineralogist Arthur Wade. Wadeite typically occurs as colorless to white or pale yellow prismatic crystals, often found in association with other zirconium-bearing minerals. Its crystal structure is trigonal and it possesses a hardness of 5 to 5.5 on the Mohs scale.

The mineral was first discovered in the Khibiny Massif, Kola Peninsula, Russia. It has since been found in a few other locations worldwide, primarily in alkaline igneous rocks and pegmatites. Wadeite is not an economically important mineral, but it is of interest to mineralogists due to its unique chemical composition and crystal structure, particularly its relatively complex silicate framework incorporating zirconium.