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A mineral that was discovered by a team including a professor at Michigan Tech is the International Mineralogical Association’s 2016 Mineral of the Year.
Currently nestled in the A.E. Seaman Mineral Museum, merelaniite was discovered in 2016 by a team that includes Michigan Tech’s John Jaszczak, a physics professor and adjunct curator.
The complex crystal structure is the most unique part of merelaniite.
“We’re really excited to have discovered this new mineral that occurs as these silvery, hair-like cylinders and it’s very exciting because it’s a strange crystal structure. It forms in layers and the layers actually grow into curved shapes, like tobacco rolling around to form a cigar. It’s primarily a lead sulfide layered with molybdenum sulfide,” said Physics Professor and Adjunct Curator John Jaszczak.
Before last year, merelaniite may have been overlooked as hairs and were often brushed off of more recognizable minerals, like quartz.
The mineral is named after Merelani, Tanzania, where it was first found in a gem mine.
