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CRYSTAL INTERGROWTHS
1. Parallel Growth
Parallel growth occurs when aggregate of crystals of the same substance grow adjacent to one another,
making their crystallographic axes and faces parallel. These aggregates only constitute a single crystal and may
resemble crystal twinning.
2. Epitaxis
Epitaxis is a process that occurs when the growth of a crystal of a particular orientation on top of another
crystal (different substance) is controlled by the underlying crystal.
Twins or twinned crystals occur during a symmetrical intergrowth of two or more crystals of the same
substance according to some definite law. The parts of a twin crystal are related to each other, either as if one part
appears to form by the following: reflection across a mirror plane (twin plane); a rotation of 180° about a common
direction (twin axis); and inversion about a point (twin center).
4. Contact Twins
Contact twins occur when two crystals of the same substance have a definite (planar) composition plane. A
composition plane is a plane on which two individuals are united or where the lattice points among twinned crystals
are shared. If the composition plane is a surface, it is termed as a composition surface. Contact twins are usually
defined by a law that expresses a twin plane.
5. Penetration Twins
Penetration twins have an indefinite (irregular) composition surface and are made up of interpenetrating
individuals. Penetration twins are defined by crystals that often share the center of their axial systems.
GEOL 121 MINERALOGY LEC
HOMEWORK
CRYSTAL INTERGROWTHS
6. Polysynthetic Twins
Polysynthetic twins are a type of repeated or multiple twins. Repeated twins occur when three or more parts
the crystal are twinned according to the same law. And, when these successive composition planes manifest in a
parallel manner, the resulting group is a polysynthetic twin.
7. Cyclic Twins
Another type of a repeated twin is a cyclic twin. Unlike polysynthetic twins, cyclic twins occur when the
successive composition planes are not parallel.
8. Albite Law
Albite twinning is exhibited by crystals under the triclinic system. The Albite
Law indicates that a twinning occurs perpendicular to the b crystallographic axis
(parallel to the mirror plane). This twinning is repeated to give a series of fine lamellae
(polysynthetic twinning) which appear as striations in hand specimen. Plagioclase is
the most common mineral that shows albite polysynthetic twinning.
9. Pericline Law
Swallow tail twins are shown by crystals under the monoclinic system. It illustrates a
twinning with the plane {100}, an orthopinacoid. This type of twinning is commonly observed
in gypsum.
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CRYSTAL INTERGROWTHS
The Manebach Law is exhibited by crystals under the monoclinic system. This
twinning forms a contact twin along the plane {001}, a basal pinacoid. This twinning is
commonly shown in orthoclase.
The Braveno Law is exhibited by crystals under the monoclinic system. This
twinning forms a contact twin along the plane {021}, a clinodome. The mineral
orthoclase commonly shows this type of twinning.
The Carlsbad Law is exhibited by crystals under the monoclinic system. This
twinning occurs when interpenetration happens where one part is rotated about 180°
from the other, having the c axis as the twin axis. This type of twinning commonly occurs
in orthoclase.
Iron cross twinning is exhibited by crystals under the diploidal class of the
isometric system. This type of twinning occurs when two pyritohedrons are
interpenetrating each other with a 90° rotation about the twin axis [001]. This is
commonly observed in the mineral pyrite.
GEOL 121 MINERALOGY LEC
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CRYSTAL INTERGROWTHS
Calcite twinning is exhibited by crystals under the hexagonal system. There are two common twin laws
observed in these crystals: (1) a twin plane parallel to the basal pinacoid, with c axis as the twin axis and (2) a plane
parallel to a face of the negative rhombohedron which serves as the twin plane, where polysynthetic twinning may
occur due to pressure. The mineral calcite commonly shows this type of twinning.
References
Hurlbut., C. S., Jr. (1944). Dana's manual of mineralogy (15th ed.). New York City, USA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Klein, C., & Hurlbut, C. S., Jr. (1993). The 22nd edition of the manual of mineral science (after James D. Dana). New
York City, USA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Nelson, S. A. (2019). Twinning, polymorphism, polytypism, pseudomorphism. Retrieved February 20, 2019, from
https://www.tulane.edu/~sanelson/eens211/twinning.htm