Wonderful shapes from splitting minerals
The marvellous shapes shown in the diagram are produced when they split. There are seven basic groups shape shown here. In each group we give the mathematically descriptive names of the shape and some example of the minerals in the group. The groups range from cubic structures of the garnet and diamond to the trigonal structure of the calcite.
Cubic: minimum symmetry four 3-fold axes.
Examples are fluorite, garnet and diamond.
Tetragonal: minimum symmetry one 4-fold axis.
Examples are zircon, calomel and wulfenite.
Orthorhombic: minimum symmetry three 2-fold axes.
Examples are barytes, alexandrite and olivine.
Monoclinic: minimum symmetry one 2-fold axis.
Examples are malachite, orthoclase and moonstone.
Triclinic: minimum symmetry none.
Examples sunstone,, turquoise and chalcanthite.
Hexagonal: minimum symmetry one 6-fold axis.
Examples are emerald, zincite and apalite.
Trigonal: minimum symmetry one 3-fold axis.
Examples are calcite, rose quartz and tourmaline.
|
2D shapes, 3D objects, Nets
Affiliate Sign up/Log In
