What is the crystal system in mineralogy ?
Crystal system : definition
The inventory of the elements of symmetry possessed by the mineral species has made it possible to group it into 7 crystalline systems : cubic, tetragonal, hexagonal, rhombohedral, orthorhombic, monoclinic and triclinic.
Each system is defined by a fundamental polyhedron corresponding to the simplest form possessing all the symmetry elements of the system.
Note that the Anglo-Saxons only recognize 6 crystal systems, considering the rhombohedral system as a special case of the hexagonal system.
Each system is defined by a fundamental polyhedron corresponding to the simplest form possessing all the symmetry elements of the system.
Note that the Anglo-Saxons only recognize 6 crystal systems, considering the rhombohedral system as a special case of the hexagonal system.
Cubic / Isometric
Tetragonal
Orthorhombic
Triclinic
Hexagonal
Rhombohedral / Trigonal
Monoclinic
