MinerAlphabet Card

The Seven Crystal Systems

Did you know all minerals are formed from only 7 kinds of crystal system? 

Mineral is a natural inorganic crystalline material which are formed by geological processes.  Atoms are boned regularly and repeating in three-dimensional arrangement. Even though mineral can be found in different forms and shapes, they only crystallized under seven basic symmetries. All minerals can be classified into seven crystal systems according to their crystal symmetry and crystallographic axes.

The seven crystal systems are: Cubic, Hexagonal, Monoclinic, Orthorhombic, Tetragonal, Triclinic and Trigonal.

Let's explore the crystal structure of the mineral that you picked!

Azurite

Azurite

Crystal System: Monoclinic system
Color: Light blue – Dark blue

Beryl

Beryl

Crystal System: Hexagonal system
Color: From colorless to wide range of colors

Corundum

Corundum

Crystal System: Trigonal system
Color: From colorless to wide range of colors

Dioptase

Dioptase

Crystal System: Trigonal system
Color: Green – Dark Blue-Green

Euclase

Euclase

Crystal System: Monoclinic system
Color: Colorless, white, light blue to dark blue, bluish-green, and yellow

Fluorapatite

Fluorapatite

Crystal System: Hexagonal system
Color: Colorless to white, green, blue, pink, purple, yellow and brown

Grossular

Grossular

Crystal System: Cubic system
Color: Light blue – Dark blue

Hematite

Hematite

Crystal System: Trigonal system
Color: Steel gray to black, brown to reddish brown

ICE

Ice

Crystal System: Hexagonal system
Color: Colorless to white, pale blue to greenish blue

Jadeite

Jadeite

Crystal System: Rocks
Color: White, light green to dark green and bluish green, purple, and black

Kunzite

Kunzite

Crystal System: Monoclinic system
Color: Pink to violet

Lazurite

Lazurite

Crystal System: Cubic system
Color: Blue to deep blue, violet-blue, greenish blue

Malachite

Malachite

Crystal System: Monoclinic system
Color: Light green to dark green

Nephrite

Nephrite

Crystal System: Rocks
Color: White, light green to dark green, yellow to brown, black

Opal

Opal

Crystal System: Amorphous
Color: Colorless, white, yellow, orange, red, green, blue, brown, black

Pyrite

Pyrite

Crystal System: Cubic system
Color: Brass-yellow

Quartz

Quartz

Crystal System: Trigonal system
Color: Wide range of colors depending on varieties

Rhodochrosite

Rhodochrosite

Crystal System: Trigonal system
Color: White, pink, red, gray, black

Sepiolite

Sepiolite

Crystal System: Orthorhombic system
Color: White, with light gray or light yellow

Tourmaline

Tourmaline

Crystal System: Trigonal system
Color: From colorless to wide range of colors, often multicolored

Ulexite

Ulexite

Crystal System: Triclinic system
Color: Colorless, white, gray

Vivianite

Vivianite

Crystal System: Monoclinic system
Color: Colorless when fresh, then turn to blue, greenish-blue, bluish-green, or black

Wulfenite

Wulfenite

Crystal System: Tetragonal system
Color: Reddish orange, orangy yellow, yellow, green, brown, gray, black

Xonotlite

Xonotlite

Crystal System: Monoclinic system
Color: Colorless, white, gray, pale pink

Yugawaralite

Yugawaralite

Crystal System: Monoclinic system
Color: Colorless, white, pink

Zircon

Zircon

Crystal System: Tetragonal system
Color: Colorless, yellow, brown to reddish brown, green, gray, black