Mineral Habits

Geology 40
I.

Individual*
Acicular - composed of a radiating mass of slender,
needle-like crystals. minerals with this habit tend to be
fragile, and complete, undamaged specimens can be
uncommon.

Millerite, Natrolite
Bladed - blade-like, slender and flattened, similar to
grass.

|
Actinolite, Kyanite

*not including form-like habits e.g. cubic, hexagonal, tetrahedral, octahedral, etc.

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Equant - any three perpendicular axis through the

crystal are more or less equal. can be used to describe
rounded as well as angular crystals.

Fluorite, Galena
Tabular/Stubby/Blocky - book-like (tablets) that are
thicker than platy but not as elongated as bladed.

Oligoclase, Baryte
Platy - flat, tablet-shaped, prominent pinacoid.

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Wulfenite, Hematite
Prismatic/Columnar - elongated, prism-like: crystal
faces parallel to c-axis are well-developed. pencil-like

Tourmaline, Calcite
Capillary/Filiform - hair-like or thread-like, extremely fine

Millerite, Pyrite
Striated - not a habit per se, but a condition of lines that
can grow on certain crystal faces on certain minerals.

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Tourmaline, Spodumene

II.

Aggregate
Amygdaloidal almond-shaped, bubble-shaped cavities
that have become filled with minerals.

Calcite, Epidote
Fibrous - aggregates of parallel or radiating slender
fibers. extremely slender prisms.

Rutilated Quartz, Silver

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Botryoidal - resembling grape bunches with interlocking

rounded masses.

Hematite, Sphalerite
Mammillary - rounded, literally "breast-like" masses,
similar to botryoidal and globular but more rounded,
larger individual masses.

Chalcedony, Malachite
Globular - bubbly, rounded masses, similar to botryoidal
or mammillary but less coherent.

Fluorite, Wavellite

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Reniform - "kidney form" - each globular structure has

an internally radiating form.

Hematite, Malachite
Radiating/Divergent - growing outward from a point in
sprays or starbursts. distinct crystals arranged in an
orientation outward from a common point.

Pyrite Sun, Adamite

Reticulated - crystals forming net-like intergrowths.

Cerussite, Rutile
Roseiform/Rosette/Lenticular - tabular or bladed crystals
in a cluster. can also be radiating rose-like aggregate.

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Baryte, Gypsum
Drusy/Druzy - aggregate of minute crystals coating a
surface or cavity (geode).

Azurite, Amethyst
Dendritic/Arborescent - tree-like, branching in one or
more direction from central point.

Pyrolusite, Copper
Foliated/Lamellar/Micaceous - layered structure, parting
into thin sheets.

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Lepidolite, Talc
Massive/Compact - no crystal structure visible, though
the mineral may be crystalline. some massive minerals
may also be granular. shapeless, no distinctive external
crystal shape.

Turquoise & Quartz, Forsterite & Magnetite

Granular - aggregates of anhedral crystals in matrix.
crystals of a small size, less than 1 cm across, that
exhibit no really discernable crystal form.

Bornite, Pyroxene & Omphacite

Banded - parallel layers of same mineral with different
colors.

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Rhodochrosite, Goethite
Oolitic - rounded pebble to sand sized nodules (<2mm)
in a compact mass formed in sedimentary environs.
fish eggs

Mn-O Oolite, Hematite

Pisolitic - rounded marble to pebble sized nodules in a
compact mass formed in certain sedimentary
environments. Nodules are larger than oolitic forms.

Bauxite, Mn-O Pisolite

Stalactitic/Stalagmitic - a concretionary growth
sometimes around a hollow tube, producing long, slowly

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tappering, rounded masses. Cross-sections usually have

circular rings like the rings of a tree.

Stalactitic Calcite, Stalagmitic Calcite, Rhodochrosite

Nodular - Deposit of roughly spherical form with
irregular protuberances

Chalcedony, Agate Pseudomorph

Geode - rocks with open cores, lined with different

minerals.

Calcite, Agate-Tetrahedrite

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Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_habit
http://www.galleries.com/minerals/property/habits.htm
http://www.geo-logic.org/Minerology/Identifying%20Minerals/Habits
%20-%20Forms.htm
http://www.earthsciences.hku.hk/shmuseum/earth_mat_1_2.php
http://www.minsocam.org/msa/collectors_corner/id/mineral_id_keyi8.ht
m
http://www.geo.arizona.edu/geo3xx/geo306_mdbarton/classonly/306%
20Web%20Materials/306_Lecture041129.htm
http://www.minerals.net/mineral_glossary

http://crystalclassicsminerales.es/product-detail.php?id=831

http://www.fabreminerals.com/LargePhoto.php?
FILE=specimens/s_imagesF2/TD11F2d.jpg&CODE=TD11F2&NAME=Flu
orita%20globular&LANG=ES

http://www.geo.mtu.edu/~raman/SilverI/BlackLavas/Amygdaloidal_Mine
rals/Pages/Minerals.html#0

http://www.minsocam.org/msa/collectors_corner/id/display/globular.htm

http://geology.com/minerals/bauxite.shtml

http://www.minerals.net/Image/11/220/rutile.aspx
http://legacy.earlham.edu/~greshjo/Rosette.htm
http://www.johnbettsfineminerals.com/jhbnyc/mineralmuseum/picshow.php?id=35250
https://www.flickr.com/photos/sphaerolith/11442067235/
http://www.amazon.com/Tetrahedrite-Titanium-Mineral-SpecimenRainbow/dp/B00AXBNQGG

prepared by
Zed

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