From Wikipedia,
the free encyclopedia
Euhedral refers to
well-formed
crystals with sharp,
easily-recognized faces. Normally,
crystals do not form smooth faces
or sharp crystal outlines. Many
crystals grow from cooling liquid
magma. As magma cools, the
crystals grow, and they eventually
touch each other, preventing
crystal faces form forming
properly or at all.
However, when
snowflakes crystallize, they
do not touch each other. Thus,
snowflakes form euhedral,
six-sided
twinned crystals. In
rocks, the presence of
euhedral crystals may signify that
they formed early in the
crystallization of a magma or
perhaps crystallized in a cavity
or
vug, without hindrance from
other crystals.
Etymology: Euhedral is derived
from the
Greek hedron meaning
shape.
