zneuita

Zneuita is a fictional mineral species described in speculative geology and worldbuilding literature. It is presented as a rare zinc silicate-oxide mineral with distinctive properties and a limited distribution in a fictional setting. The name is a constructed term in mineral nomenclature, using the common -ita suffix and an imagined root zneut- meant to evoke elusiveness.

In the primary fictional corpus, zneuita occurs in hydrothermal veins of the Valoria Range on the continent of Aethria. It is said to form when zinc-rich fluids alter silicate hosts at high temperature and low pressure, often with other zinc minerals.

Physical characteristics include a monoclinic crystal system; prismatic to tabular habits; emerald-green to teal color; translucent to near-opaque transparency; and a vitreous luster. Reported hardness is about 6.5 on the Mohs scale. Optical properties are described as approximating refractive indices around 1.70 and weak to moderate pleochroism.

Chemically, zneuita is described as a zinc silicate with traces of cobalt and iron, imparting color. An often-cited, fictional empirical formula is ZnSi2O7. Its geochemical signature features elevated zinc and association with willemite-rich assemblages in the stories.

Discovery and reception: First described by geologist L. K. Verin in 2084 in a field report within a fictional encyclopedia; it has since appeared in worldbuilding compendia and is referenced by mineral collectors in that setting.

Uses and significance: In narratives, zneuita is valued as an ornamental stone for jewelry and carvings; speculative research considers potential pigments, though no real specimens exist.

See also: willemite; vesuvianite; other fictional minerals of the Valoria narrative.

---