Mineral Cup Round 1: Kyanite vs Ringwoodite
Two common blue minerals today - one likely in your home right now, one deep inside the Earth!
https://www.mineralcup.org/2024/vote/r1m12
This metamorphic mineral has the fun property of hardness anisotropism - take a steel needle and scratch along its length, and you'll leave marks. Try against the grain, and it's unscratchable!
Name: From Ancient Greek κύανος, "blue".
Bling: Cyan! Or more accurately, a range of blues and occasional greys, in satisfying columns.
Uses: At high temperatures, kyanite expands and strengthens into mullite, making it ideal to use in kilns, railroads, and spark plugs - as well as in porcelain dentures and sinks!
Team Lick: Safe, but boring.
Aelwyn. Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Didier Descouens. Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
Like its cousin olivine, this high-pressure mineral is found in meteorites and the depths of the Earth! It can host water ions (hydroxide) inside.
Name: After the geologist that predicted its existence.
Bling: A variety of blues, purples, and greys in meteorites; deep blue in synthesis.
Uses: Another critical mineral in the Earth's mantle! Due to the amount of water it contains, it may have a strong effect on mantle circulation.
Jasperox. Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.
Ringwoodit. Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.