A rare mineral, a type of silicate mineral that was once thought to be a distinct mineral but is now recognized as a variety of sodalite.
From Greek 'elaion' (oil) + 'lithos' (stone), named because of its oily luster. The term dates from 19th-century mineralogy when mineral classification was still being refined.
Elacolite is a great example of how science evolves—it was once considered its own mineral species, but advances in mineralogy showed it was just sodalite with a different appearance, teaching us that looks can be deceiving.
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