Crystal habit

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This article is about the descriptive term used in mineralogy. For the addictive drug, see
crystal methamphetamine.

Pyrite sun (or dollar) in laminated shale matrix. Between tightly spaced layers of shale, the
aggregate was forced to grow in a laterally compressed, radiating manner. Under normal
conditions, pyrite would form cubes or pyritohedrons.

In mineralogy, crystal habit is the characteristic external shape of an individual crystal or

groups of crystals. A single crystal's habit is a description of its general shape and its
crystallographic forms, plus how well developed each are. Recognizing the habit may help in
identifying the mineral. When the faces are well-developed due to uncrowded growth a
crystal is called euhedral, one with partially developed faces is subhedral, and one with
undeveloped crystal faces is called anhedral. The long axis of a euhedral quartz crystal
typically has a six-sided prismatic habit with parallel opposite faces. Aggregates can be
formed of individual crystals with euhedral to anhedral grains. The arrangement of crystals
within the aggregate can be characteristic of certain minerals. For example, minerals used for
asbestos insulation often grow in a fibrous habit, a mass of very fine fibers.[1][2]

The terms used by mineralogists to report crystal habits describe the typical appearance of an
ideal mineral. Recognizing the habit can aid in identification as some habits are
characteristic. Most minerals, however, do not display ideal habits due to conditions during
crystallization. Euhedral crystals formed in uncrowded conditions with no adjacent crystal
grains are not common; more often faces are poorly formed or unformed against adjacent
grains and the mineral's habit may not be easily recognized.[1]
Goethite replacing pyrite cubes

Factors influencing habit include: a combination of two or more crystal forms; trace
impurities present during growth; crystal twinning and growth conditions (i.e., heat, pressure,
space); and specific growth tendencies such as growth striations. Minerals belonging to the
same crystal system do not necessarily exhibit the same habit. Some habits of a mineral are
unique to its variety and locality: For example, while most sapphires form elongate barrel-
shaped crystals, those found in Montana form stout tabular crystals. Ordinarily, the latter
habit is seen only in ruby. Sapphire and ruby are both varieties of the same mineral;
corundum.

Some minerals may replace other existing minerals while preserving the original's habit: this
process is called pseudomorphous replacement. A classic example is tiger's eye quartz,
crocidolite asbestos replaced by silica. While quartz typically forms prismatic (elongate,
prism-like) crystals, in tiger's eye the original fibrous habit of crocidolite is preserved.

The names of crystal habits are derived from:

Predominant crystal faces (prism – prismatic, pyramid – pyramidal and pinacoid – platy).
Crystal forms (cubic, octahedral, dodecahedral). Aggregation of crystals or aggregates
(fibrous, botryoidal, radiating, massive). Crystal appearance (foliated/lamellar (layered),
dendritic, bladed, acicular, lenticular, tabular (tablet shaped)).

List of crystal habits[edit]

Common
Habit[3][4][5] Image Description
Example(s)

Needle-like, slender
Acicular Natrolite, Rutile
and/or tapered
 Heulandite,
Amygdaloidal Almond-shaped subhedral
Zircon

Blade-like, slender Actinolite,

Bladed
and flattened Kyanite

Hematite,
Pyrite,
Grape-like, Malachite,
Botryoidal or
hemispherical Smithsonite,
globular
masses Hemimorphite,
Adamite,
Variscite

Similar to fibrous:
Calcite,
Long, slender prisms
Columnar Gypsum/Selenit
often with parallel
e
growth
 Aggregated flaky or
Barite,
Coxcomb tabular crystals
Marcasite
closely spaced.

Pyrite, Galena,
Cubic Cube shape
Halite

Romanechite
Tree-like, branching
and other Mn-
Dendritic or in one or more
oxide minerals,
arborescent direction from
magnesite,
central point
native copper

Rhombic
Dodecahedral dodecahedron, 12- Garnet
sided
 Aggregate of minute Uvarovite,
Drusy or
crystals coating a Malachite,
encrustation
surface or cavity Azurite

Mirror-image habit
(i.e. crystal
twinning) and Quartz,
Enantiomorphi
optical Plagioclase,
c
characteristics; right- Staurolite
and left-handed
crystals

Length, width, and

Equant, stout breadth roughly Olivine, Garnet
equal

Serpentine
Extremely slender group,
Fibrous
prisms Tremolite (i.e.
Asbestos)
Filiform or Hair-like or thread-
many Zeolites
capillary like, extremely fine

Foliated or
Layered structure, Mica
micaceous or
parting into thin (Muscovite,
lamellar
sheets Biotite, etc.)
(layered)

Aggregates of
Bornite,
Granular anhedral crystals in
Scheelite
matrix

Doubly terminated
crystal with two Hemimorphite,
Hemimorphic
differently shaped Elbaite
ends.
 Hexagon shape, six- Quartz,
Hexagonal
sided Hanksite

Like cubic, but outer

portions of cubes Halite, Calcite,
Hopper
grow faster than synthetic
crystals
inner portions, Bismuth
creating a concavity

Breast-like: surface
formed by
intersecting partial
spherical shapes, Malachite,
Mammillary
larger version of Hematite
botryoidal, also
concentric layered
aggregates

Limonite,
Shapeless, no
Massive or Turquoise,
distinctive external
compact Cinnabar,
crystal shape
Realgar

Deposit of roughly
Nodular or spherical form with Chalcedony,
tuberose irregular various Geodes
protuberances
 Octahedron, eight-
Diamond,
Octahedral sided (two pyramids
Magnetite
base to base)

Aurichalcite,
Fine, feather-like
Plumose Boulangerite,
scales
Mottramite

Elongate, prism-like:
crystal faces parallel Tourmaline,
Prismatic
to c-axis well- Beryl
developed
 Hexagonal
Pseudo- Aragonite,
appearance due to
hexagonal Chrysoberyl
cyclic twinning

Radiating or Radiating outward Wavellite,

divergent from a central point Pyrite suns

Similar to
Hematite,
Reniform or botryoidal/mamillary
Pyrolusite,
colloform : intersecting kidney-
Greenockite
shaped masses

Crystals forming
Reticulated Cerussite
net-like intergrowths
Rosette or
lenticular (lens Platy, radiating rose- Gypsum, Barite
shaped like aggregate (i.e. Desert rose)
crystals)

Sphenoid Wedge-shaped Sphene

Forming as
stalactites or
Calcite,
Stalactitic stalagmites;
Goethite
cylindrical or cone-
shaped

Pyrophyllite,
Stellate Star-like, radiating
Aragonite
 Not a habit per se,
but a condition of Tourmaline,
lines that can grow Pyrite, Quartz,
Striated
on certain crystal Feldspar,
faces on certain Sphalerite
minerals

More elongated than

Stubby or
equant, slightly
blocky or Feldspar, Topaz
longer than wide,
tabular
flat tablet shaped

Flat, tablet-shaped,
Platy Wulfenite
prominent pinnacoid

Tetrahedrite,
Tetrahedra-shaped
Tetrahedral Spinel,
crystals
Magnetite
 Aggregates
resembling hand-
Wheat sheaf Stilbite
reaped wheat
sheaves

See also[edit]
 Abnormal grain growth
 Grain growth
 Crystallization

References[edit]
1. Klein, Cornelis, 2007, Minerals and Rocks: Exercises in Crystal and Mineral
Chemistry, Crystallography, X-ray Powder Diffraction, Mineral and Rock
Identification, and Ore Mineralogy, Wiley, third edition, ISBN 978-0471772774
2. Wenk, Hans-Rudolph and Andrei Bulakh, 2004, Minerals: Their Constitution and
Origin, Cambridge, first edition, ISBN 978-0521529587
3. What are descriptive crystal habits
4. Crystal Habit
5. Habit

[hide]

 v
 t
 e

Mineral identification
 Cleavage
 Crystal habit
 Crystal system
 Fracture
 Lustre
 Mohs scale
 Specific gravity
  Streak

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 Mineralogy
 Mineral habits

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