The
Shape (Habit) of Mineral Aggregations
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Acicular:
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Long needle like crystals
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Gypsum CaSO4.2H2O
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Columnar
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Long but thick
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Quartz SiO2
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Equant
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Roughly equal sizes in all 3 dimensions
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Olivine (Mg.Fe)SiO4
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Bladed
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Long, flat but narrow
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Kyanite Al2SiO5
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Tabular
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Thin and flat
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Muscovite KAl2(OH)2AlSi3O10
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Concretionary
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Roughly spherical concentric layers
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Pyrite FeS2
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Botryoidal
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Rounded aggregates like a bunch of grapes
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Pyrolusite MnO2
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Mammilary
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Breast like rounded surfaces
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Haematite Fe2O3
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Pisolitic
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Peas sized spherical concretions
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Bauxite Al2O3
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Oolitic
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Smaller concretions like fish eggs
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Haematite Fe2O3
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Foliated
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Separable leaves or sheets
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Molybdenite MoS2
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Fibrous
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Clusters of thin threads
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Crysotile asbestos H4Mg3Si2O9
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Radiating
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Needle like thin crystals pointing out from a centre
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Inesite H2(Mn,Ca)6Si16O19.3H2O
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Stalactitic
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Thin tapering columns
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Apatite Ca5(F,Cl,OH)(PO4)3
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Dendritic
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Fern like branching shapes
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Pyrolusite MnO2
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Massive
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Compact with no particular shape
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Rhodonite MnSiO3
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