It doesn’t look like much — it’s small and a murky reddish-brown color — but it’s also the 2014 inaugural “Mineral of the Year.”
The mineral in question, ophirite, was discovered 25 years ago by Joe Marty, a retired U medical technologist. At the time he was hunting for another mineral, scheelite, at the Ophir Hill consolidated mine in Utah. Marty found a sample of scheelite containing the ophirite but was unable to determine the exact mineral due to the technology of the time. The sample was tucked away, and Marty continued with his expeditions.
During his mineral collecting career, Marty has discovered about 60 minerals that have been approved by the International Mineralogical Association (IMA).
“This is just one of the many that have been accepted,” he said.
A couple of years ago, Marty decided to send the sample of what would soon be deemed ophirite in for analysis. In order for a mineral to be formally designated by the IMA it must undergo a “fairly involved” process, said Barbara Nash, a U professor of geology and geophysics. The mineral must first be characterized by its chemical composition and crystal structure, after which a proposal must be submitted to the IMA, where a committee of about 20 people vote on it. Roughly 100 new minerals are approved each year.
Nash was involved with determining the chemical composition of ophirite. The arrangement of atoms in the mineral is derivative of the Keggin structure, which had previously only occurred in synthetic minerals. Because of this it has the potential for wide use in industrial applications, Nash said.
“This is the first naturally occurring substance that has this kind of structure,” she said. “I think that’s what was most intriguing to them.”
Nash has worked on more than 30 other minerals, but she and her colleagues found the ophirite particularly interesting and were pleased to have their opinion validated by the IMA, she said.
While Marty was appreciative of the Mineral of the Year award, he was also honored with an “even nicer” award: the Pinch Medal. The medal is awarded to a nonprofessional who has made significant contributions to the field of mineralogy.
“I really enjoyed working with these people,” he said. “It’s really fun in life to do something you enjoy.
@sarahnlegg