New mineral “Amaterasuite” discovered in Japan, honours sun goddess

A Japanese research team has discovered a new mineral within jadeite, the national stone of Japan, and named it “Amaterasuite” after the sun goddess Amaterasu-omikami from Japanese mythology. The name and the mineral have been officially approved by the International Mineralogical Association’s Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification.

The discovery was made by a collaborative team of researchers from the University of Tokyo, Yamaguchi University, the Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute (JASRI), Kyoto University, and Rigaku Corporation, alongside amateur mineralogists Masayuki Ohnishi and Mitsuo Tanabe.

The mineral was found in jadeite from the Osa-yama region of Okayama Prefecture. While jadeite is primarily composed of the mineral jadeite, it can contain trace amounts of other minerals rich in elements like strontium and titanium. Amaterasuite is one such mineral.

Analysis revealed that Amaterasuite possesses a unique chemical composition and a novel crystal structure. Using Rigaku’s SPring-8 large synchrotron radiation facility and a high-end single-crystal structural analyser, the team determined that the mineral’s structure has a notable dual nature. It contains two different structural elements within its unit cell, a feature that had been theoretically predicted but never before observed in a real material.

The naming of the mineral fuses both science and culture. According to the research team, the name was chosen because the mineral was found in jadeite, a symbol of Japan’s stone culture. The dual nature of the crystal structure was seen as corresponding to the dual aspects of a divine spirit in Japanese mythology, which possesses both nigimitama (a “gentle spirit”) and aramitama (a “rough spirit.”)

Scientifically, we now have a new perspective on the formation of jadeite, linking between crystallographic theory and observation. On the other hand, culturally, the naming is a tribute to Japan’s stone culture and its rich mythological heritage.

The findings are available in the Journal of Mineralogical and Petrological Sciences.