Crystal Axes, Systems, Mineral Face

Notation (Miller Indices)

A CRYSTAL is the outward form of the

internal structure of the mineral.
The 6 basic crystal systems are:

ISOMETRIC
HEXAGONAL
TETRAGONAL
ORTHORHOMBIC

Drusy Quartz on Barite MONOCLINIC

TRICLINIC
Acknowledgement: the following images from Susan
and Stan Celestian,
Celestian, Glendale Community College

Crystal Systems
CRYSTAL SYSTEMS are divided into 6 main groups.

The first group is the ISOMETRIC.

This literally means “equal
measure” and refers to the equal
size of the crystal axes.

ISOMETRIC - Fluorite Crystals

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 Crystal Systems
 ISOMETRIC CRYSTALS

a3
ISOMETRIC
In this crystal system there are 3 axes.
Each has the same length (as indicated by
a2 the same letter “a”).
They all meet at mutual 90o angles in the
a1 center of the crystal.
Crystals in this system are typically
ISOMETRIC blocky or ball-like.
Basic Cube
ALL ISOMETRIC CRYSTALS HAVE 4
3-FOLD AXES

Crystal Systems
 ISOMETRIC CRYSTALS

a3
a3

a1
a2
a2
a1
Fluorite cube with
crystal axes.
ISOMETRIC - Basic Cube

2
 Crystal Systems
 ISOMETRIC BASIC CRYSTAL SHAPES

Spinel Fluorite Pyrite

Octahedron Cube Cube with

Pyritohedron
Striations

Garnet Garnet - Dodecahedron

Trapezohedron

Crystal Systems
 HEXAGONAL CRYSTALS
c

HEXAGONAL - Three horizontal

axes meeting at angles of 120o and one
a3
perpendicular axis.
a2

a1
ALL HEXAGONAL CRYSTALS
HAVE A SINGLE 3- OR 6-FOLD
AXIS = C

HEXAGONAL Crystal
Axes

3
 Crystal Systems
 HEXAGONAL CRYSTALS

These hexagonal
CALCITE crystals
nicely show the six
sided prisms as well as
the basal pinacoid.

Two subsytems:
subsytems:
1. Hexagonal
2. Trigonal

Crystal Systems
 TETRAGONAL CRYSTALS
c TETRAGONAL
Two equal, horizontal, mutually
perpendicular axes (a1, a2)
Vertical axis (c) is perpendicular to the
a2 horizontal axes and is of a different length.
a1
c

a2
TETRAGONAL Crystal
a1
Axes

This is an Alternative
Crystal Axes

4
 Crystal Systems
 TETRAGONAL CRYSTALS
Same crystal seen edge on.
WULFENITE

ALL HEXAGONAL CRYSTALS HAVE A SINGLE 3- OR 6-FOLD AXIS = C

Crystal Systems
 ORTHORHOMBIC CRYSTALS
ORTHORHOMBIC
Three mutually perpendicular axes of different lengths.
c
c
b
a b
a

An Alternative Crystal
Axes Orientation
ORTHORHMOBIC
Crystal Axes Each axis has symmetry,
either 2-fold or m-normal

5
 Crystal Systems
 ORTHORHOMBIC CRYSTALS

Topaz from Topaz Mountain,

Utah.

Crystal Systems
 ORTHORHOMBIC CRYSTALS

BARITE is also orthorhombic.

The view above is looking down
the “c” axis of the crystal.

6
 Crystal Systems
 ORTHORHOMBIC CRYSTALS

Pinacoid
View

Prism View
STAUROLITE

Crystal Systems
 MONOCLINIC CRYSTALS

MONOCLINIC
In this crystal form the axes are of
c unequal length.
Axes a and b are perpendicular.
b Axes b and c are perpendicular.
But a and c make some oblique
a angle and with each other.

MONOCLINIC Crystal
Axes MONO = ONE AXIS OF
SYMMETRY (2-FOLD OR
MIRROR) = TO “b”

7
 Crystal Systems
 MONOCLINIC CRYSTALS

Top View

Gypsum Mica

Orthoclase

Crystal Systems
 TRICLINIC CRYSTALS

c
TRICLINIC
In this system, all of the axes are of
different lengths and none are
a b perpendicular to any of the others.

SYMMETRY: ONLY 1 OR 1-BAR

TRICLINIC Crystal
Axes

8
 Crystal Systems
 TRICLINIC CRYSTALS

Microcline, variety Amazonite

Crystal Faces
sphene
Remember:
Space groups for atom symmetry
Point groups for crystal face symmetry

Crystal Faces = limiting surfaces of growth

Depends in part on shape of building units & physical
conditions (T, P, matrix, nature & flow direction of
solutions)

Acknowledgement: the following images from John Winter, Whitman College,

WA

9
 Crystal
Morphology

Observation:
The frequency with
which a given face in a
crystal is observed is
proportional to the
density of lattice nodes
along that plane

Crystal Morphology
Observation:
The frequency with
which a given face in
a crystal is observed
is proportional to the
density of lattice
nodes along that
plane

10
 Crystal Morphology
Because faces have direct relationship to the
internal structure, they must have a direct and
consistent angular relationship to each other

Corundum, var. ruby

Crystal Morphology
Nicholas Steno (1669): Law of Constancy of
Interfacial Angles

120o 120o 120o

Quartz
120o 120o

120o 120o

11
 Crystal Morphology
Diff planes have diff atomic environments

Crystal Morphology
Crystal symmetry conforms to 32 point groups → 32 crystal classes
in 6 crystal systems
Crystal faces have symmetry about the center of the crystal so the
point groups and the crystal classes are the same

Crystal System No Center Center

Triclinic 1 1
Monoclinic 2, 2 (= m) 2/m
Orthorhombic 222, 2mm 2/m 2/m 2/m
Tetragonal 4, 4, 422, 4mm, 42m 4/m, 4/m 2/m 2/m
Hexagonal 3, 32, 3m 3, 3 2/m
6, 6, 622, 6mm, 62m 6/m, 6/m 2/m 2/m
Isometric 23, 432, 43m 2/m 3, 4/m 3 2/m

12
Six Crystal Systems

3-D Lattice Types

Name axes angles
α ≠ β ≠ γ ≠ 90o
+c
Triclinic a≠b≠c
Monoclinic a≠b≠c α = γ = 90o β ≠ 90o
Orthorhombic a≠b≠c α = β = γ = 90o
+a β
Tetragonal a1 = a2 ≠ c α = β = γ = 90o
Hexagonal
Hexagonal (4 axes) a1 = a2 = a3 ≠ c β = 90o γ = 120o
γ α
Rhombohedral a1 = a2 = a3 α = β = γ ≠ 90o
Isometric a1 = a2 = a3 α = β = γ = 90o
+b

Axial convention:
“right-hand rule”
rule”

c c c

b b
b
a
P a P a I =C
Triclinic Monoclinic
α ≠ β≠ γ α = γ = 90ο ≠ β
a≠b≠c a≠b≠c
c

b
a
P C F I
Orthorhombic
α = β = γ = 90ο a ≠ b ≠ c

13
 c
c

a2

a2 a1 P or C
a1 R
P I Hexagonal Rhombohedral
Tetragonal α = β = 90ο γ = 120ο α = β = γ ≠ 90ο
α = β = γ = 90ο a1 = a2 ≠ c a1 = a2 ≠ c a1 = a2 = a3

a3

a2
a1
P F I
Isometric
α = β = γ = 90 ο a1 = a 2 = a3

Triclinic and Monoclinic

14
Orthorhombic and Tetragonal

Hexagonal

15
 Isometric

Crystal Morphology
Crystal Axes: generally taken as parallel to the edges
(intersections) of prominent crystal faces

c
halite

16
 Crystal Morphology
Crystal Axes:
Symmetry also has a role: c = 6-
fold in hexagonal, 4-fold in fluorite
tetragonal, and 3-fold in trigonal.
trigonal.
The three axes in isometric are 4 or
4bar. The b axis in monoclinic
crystals is a 2fold or m-normal.

The crystallographic axes

determined by x-ray and by the
face method nearly always
coincide. This is not
coincidence!!

Crystal Morphology
How do we keep track of the faces of a crystal?

17
 Crystal Morphology
How do we keep track of the faces of a crystal?
Remember, face sizes may vary, but angles can't

Note: “interfacial
120o 120o 120o
angle”
angle” = the angle
between the faces
120o 120o
measured like this
120o 120o

Miller Indices of Crystal Faces

How do we keep track of the faces of a crystal?
Remember, face sizes may vary, but angles can't
Thus it's the orientation & angles that are the best source
of our indexing

Miller Index is the accepted indexing method

It uses the relative intercepts of the face in question with
the crystal axes

18
 Crystal Morphology
Given the following crystal:

2-D view
b looking down c

a
b
a

Crystal Morphology
Given the following crystal:

b How reference faces?

a
a face?
b face?
-a and -b faces?

19
 Crystal Morphology
Suppose we get another crystal of the same mineral with
2 other sets of faces:
b
How do we reference them?
w
x
y

b a
a z

Miller Index uses the relative intercepts of the faces with

the axes
Pick a reference face that intersects both axes
Which one?
b b

w
x
x
y

a a
z

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Which one?
Either x or y. The choice is arbitrary. Just pick one.
Suppose we pick x

b b

w
x
x
y

a a
z

MI process is very structured (“cook book”)

a b c
unknown face (y(y) 1 1 ∞
reference face (x
(x) 2 1 1
b

invert 2 1 1
1 1 ∞

clear of fractions 2 1 0
x
Miller index of
y face y using x as
(2 1 0) the a-b reference face
a

21
What is the Miller Index of the reference face?
a b c
unknown face (x(x) 1 1 ∞
reference face (x
(x) 1 1 1
b

invert 1 1 1
1 1 ∞

clear of fractions 1 1 0
x
(1 1 0)
Miller index of
y the reference face
(2 1 0) is always 1 - 1
a

What if we pick y as the reference. What is the MI of x?

a b c
unknown face (x(x) 2 1 ∞
reference face (y
(y) 1 1 1
b

invert 1 1 1
2 1 ∞

clear of fractions 1 2 0
x
(1 2 0)
Miller index of
y the reference face
(1 1 0) is always 1 - 1
a

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 Which choice is correct?

1) x = (1 1 0)
b
y = (2 1 0)
2) x = (1 2 0)
y = (1 1 0)
x
The choice is arbitrary
y
What is the difference?
a

What is the difference?

b unit cell unit cell

b shape if b shape if
y = (1 1 0) x = (1 1 0)

a a
x x

b
y y

a a

axial ratio = a/b = 0.80 axial ratio = a/b = 1.60

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What are the Miller Indices of all the faces if we choose x
as the reference?
Face Z?

b
w
(1 1 0)
(2 1 0)

a
z

The Miller Indices of face z using x as the reference

a b c
unknown face (z) 1 ∞ ∞
reference face (x
(x) 1 1 1

b invert 1 1 1
1 ∞ ∞
w
(1 1 0)
(2 1 0)
clear of fractions 1 0 0
(1 0 0) Miller index of
a
z face z using x (or
(or
any face)
face) as the
reference face

24
 b Can you index the rest?

(1 1 0)
(2 1 0)

(1 0 0)
a

(0 1 0)
(1 1 0) (1 1 0)

(2 1 0) (2 1 0)

(1 0 0)
(1 0 0) a

(2 1 0) (2 1 0)

(1 1 0) (1 1 0)
(0 1 0)

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 3-D Miller Indices (an unusually complex example)
a b c
c
unknown face (XYZ
(XYZ)) 2 2 2
reference face (ABC
(ABC)) 1 4 3
C
invert 1 4 3
Z
2 2 2

clear of fractions (1 4 3)
O
A Miller index of
X Y face XYZ using
B
ABC as the
reference face
a b

Example: the (110) surface

26
 Example: the (111) surface

Example: (100), (010), and (001)

(001)

(010)

For the isometric system, these faces are equivalent (=zone)

27
 Miller
Indices - 3
axes

Miller -
Bravais
Indices

Hexagonal System

28
 Form = a set of symmetrically equivalent faces
braces indicate a form {210}
210}
b
(0 1)
(1 1) (1 1)
(2 1) (2 1)

(1 0)
(1 0) a

(2 1) (2 1)
(1 1) (1 1)
(0 1)

Form = a set of symmetrically equivalent faces

braces indicate a form {210}
210}

pinacoid prism pyramid dipryamid

related by a mirror related by n-fold

or a 2-fold axis axis or mirrors

29
Form = a set of symmetrically equivalent faces
braces indicate a form {210}
210}

Quartz = 2 forms:
Hexagonal prism (m = 6)
Hexagonal dipyramid (m = 12)

Isometric forms include

Octahedron
Cube
_
111 111

__ _
111 111

halite

Dodecahedron

magnetite
011
101

_
110 110

garnet
_ _
101 011

30
All three combined:
001

011
_ 101
111
111

_
110 010
100 110

__
111 _
111 _
_ 011
101

Zone
Any group of faces || a common axis
Use of h k l as variables for a, b, c
intercepts
(h k 0)
0) = [001]
001]
If the MI’
MI’s of 2 non-parallel faces are
added, the result = MI of a face between
them & in the same zone

31
 Isometric Forms

Pyrite

The Cubic Form of Native Copper

32
 Stereographic Projections

Stereographic Projections

Illustrated above are the stereographic projections for

Triclinic point groups 1 and -1

33
 The 32 Point Groups

The Triclinic System microcline

34
The Monoclinic System
Orthoclase

The Orthorhombic System

barite

anhydrite

35
 The Trigonal
Subsystem

The Trigonal Subsystem

Tourmaline on quartz

36
The Tetragonal System

vesuvianite scapolite

The Tetragonal System

rutile

37
 topaz
The Tetragonal System

The Hexagonal System

cinnabar

38
 beryl
The Hexagonal System

The Hexagonal System

zincite

39
 garnet

The Isometric System

The Isometric System

pyrit
e

40