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crystal habit

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mineralogical term for the visible shape of a mineral

~7 min read

Encyclopedic overview

Smoky quartz with spessartine on top of feldspar matrix, featuring different crystal habits (shapes)

In mineralogy, crystal habit is the characteristic external shape of an individual crystal or aggregate of crystals. The habit of a crystal is dependent on its crystallographic form and growth conditions, which generally creates irregularities due to limited space in the crystallizing medium (commonly in rocks).

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “crystal habit” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.