CRYSTAL FORMS

Crystal Form: It is a group of crystal faces have similar shape and area and display the
same physical and chemical properties.
Some characteristic of form:
1- It is used to indicates general outward appearance of crystal.
2- There is great relation between form and element of symmetry.
3- Some crystal construct by one form others by more than one.
4- Minimum face in a form is one and maximum are 48 faces.

Seven Forms

One Form Two Forms One Form Six Forms

Three Forms
Type of Crystal: There are two types of crystal depend on the
number of form.
1- Simple crystal: The crystal consists one form.

2- Combine crystal: The crystal consists more than one form.

Classification of Form:
1- Depend on closing and opening the space:
A- Close Form. Are those form that constructed a crystal alone.
B- Open Form. Are those form that can not constructed a crystal alone.

2- Depend on relation between form and crystallographic axes:

A- General form. The face of the form intersects all crystal axes at different lengths.
Some characteristic of general form:
1- In Orthorhombic, monoclinic and triclinic systems the symbol of the general form is
{111}.
2- In tetragonal system the symbol
is {121} or {122}.
3- In cubic system the symbol
is {123}.
4- In hexagonal and trigonal the symbol
is {1231} or {1231}
B- Special Form. A face of the form is parallel to one or two crystallographic axes
Form No.1 Form No.2 Form No.3

Intersects + c-axis Intersects - a-axis Intersects - b-axis

Parallel to a and b axes Parallel to c and b axes Parallel to a and c axes

c Form No.1 Form No.2

c c
Intersects +a1 and –
a3 axes
a2 Parallel to a2 and c
a1 a3 a2 a2
axes a1 a3 a1 a3
Holohedral and Hemihedral Forms
Hemimorphic Form
Enantiomorphic Forms
• a group of faces on a crystal related to the same
symmetry functions , the faces of the group are
usually the same size and shape on the crystal
• recognition of crystal forms can help determine the
symmetry functions present on a crystal and vice
versa
• forms related to non isometric classes are quite
different than those related to isometric classes
• since more than one form can exist on a crystal, it is
more difficult to ascertain each form in the “full
form”.
• Non-isometric forms
• pedion--a single face

• pinacoid--an open form comprised of 2 parallel faces--

many possible locations on crystal

• dome--open form with 2 non-parallel faces with respect

to a mirror plane and A2--located at top of crystal

• sphenoid--two non-parallel faces related to an A2--

located at top of crystal
• prism-- open form of 3 faces (trigonal),
• 4 faces (tetragonal, monoclinc or orthorhombic),
• 6 faces ( hexagonal or ditrigonal),
• 8 faces (ditetragonal), or
• 12 faces ( dihexagonal) faces all parallel to same
axis and except for some in the monoclinic, that
axis is the highest fold axis--most prism faces are
located on side of crystal
• pyramid--open form with 3 faces (trigonal),
• 4 faces (tetragonal or orthorhombic),
• 6 faces (hexagonal or ditrigonal),
• 8 faces (ditetragonal) or
• 12 faces (dihexagonal) nonparallel faces meeting at
the top of a crystal
• bipyramid--a closed form with an equal number of
faces intersecting at the top and bottom of crystal
and can be thought of as a pyramid at the top and
bottom with a mirror plane separating them
• 6 faces-trigonal,
• 8 faces--tetragonal or rhombic,
• 12 faces--hexagonal or ditrigonal,
• 16 faces--ditetragonal , and
• 24 faces--dihexagonal
• trapezohedron--a closed form with 6 faces with 3
(trigonal),
• 8 faces with 4 (tetragonal) , or
• 12 faces with 6 (hexagonal) upper faces offset with
each of the same number at bottom--no mirror plane
separates top set from bottom--note the 3 sets of A2
at the sides
• scalenohedron--a closed form with 8 faces
(tetragonal) or
• 12 (hexagonal) faces grouped in symmetrical
pairs
• note the inversion 4 fold and inversion 3 fold
and A2 axes associated with each
• disphenoid--a closed form with 2 upper
faces alternating with 2 lower faces offset
by 90 degrees
Non-isometric Forms
 ISOMETRIC FORMS
• Many of these forms are based on a triad of
isometric forms, the cube (hexahedron),
octahedron, and tetrahedron--the name of a form
often includes the suffix of the triad with a prefix
• cube (hexahedron)--6 equal faces intersecting at
90 degrees

• octahedron--8 equilateral triangular faces

• tetrahedron--4 equilateral triangular faces

• dodecahedron--12 rhombed faces

• tetrahexahedron--24 isosceles triangular faces--4

faces on each basic hexahedron face

• trapezohedron--24 trapezium shaped faces

• trisoctahedron--24 isosceles triangular faces--3

faces on each octahedron face
• hexoctahedron--48 triangular faces--6 faces on each
basic octahedron face
•
• tristetrahedron--12 triangular faces--3 faces on each
basic tetrahedron face

• deltoid dodecahedron--12 faces corresponding to 1/2

of trisoctahedron faces

• hextetrahedron--24 faces--6 faces on each basic

tetrahedron face
• diploid--24 faces

• pyritohedron--12 pentagonal faces

• It is possible to identify the class of the crystal in
some cases based on the form(s) present.
• examples of key forms present on crystals are:
• the rhombic dipyramid can only occur in the
rhombic dipyramidal class
• the ditrigonal dipyramid can only occur in the
ditrigonal dipyramidal class
• the hextetrahedron can occur only in the
hextetrahedral class
• the tetrahexahedron can occur only in the
hextetrahedral class
• crystal class names are based on the most
outstanding form possible.
Isometric
Forms