New Mineral Discovered--Newslink

[Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor]

Funky purple mineral discovered in Australia–Putnistie.

Note–not “Putin-ite”.
No Russky honorifics applied.

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/science/140424/the-worlds-newest-mineral-unlike-anything-weve-ever-seen

“Most minerals belong to a family or small group of related minerals, or if they aren’t related to other minerals they often are to a synthetic compound, but putnisite is completely unique and unrelated to anything,” said Dr. Peter Elliott, lead author of a new study detailing the discovery in Mineralogical Magazine.

The transluscent purple crystals with a pink streak through the middle were discovered by a mining company in the Polar Bear peninsula of Western Australia.
What’s got scientists so intrigued by the mineral is its composition.

It’s a rare combination of strontium, calcium, chromium, sulphur, carbon, oxygen and hydrogen that’s completely distinct from any of the other 4,000 known minerals in the world

[Qadgop_the_Mercotan]

Where does the disco red part come in? What sort of shade is disco red?

[Jophiel]

I had to laugh at the “Its commercial use has yet to be determined” remark. “A brand new mineral! Who do we sell it to?”

[Skywatcher]

@Qadgop_the_Mercotan

Where does the disco red part come in? What sort of shade is disco red?

Apparently this is.

[MLS]

Well, I want some.

[the_diego]

Why the hell can’t they give its exact chemical composition (even a continuous gradation?) Do they think readers are all at the sixth grade?

[Anaglyph]

@the_diego

Why the hell can’t they give its exact chemical composition (even a continuous gradation?) Do they think readers are all at the sixth grade?

Putnisite, SrCa4Cr3+8(CO3)8SO4(OH)16·25H2O, a new mineral from Western Australia: description and crystal structure

[Ethilrist]

@the_diego

Why the hell can’t they give its exact chemical composition (even a continuous gradation?) Do they think readers are all at the sixth grade?

Well, the full composition is undetermined. The extra stuff probably isn’t tar, though.