Fracture | In Mineralogy

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External Websites

• MSD Manual Consumer Version - Overview of Fractures
• Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery - Fracture

fracture in mineralogy Ask Anything Homework Help Written and fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors History Britannica AI Ask Anything Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask Anything

fracture, in mineralogy, appearance of a surface broken in directions other than along cleavage planes. There are several kinds of fractures: conchoidal (curved concavities resembling shells—e.g., flint, quartz, glass); even (rough, approximately plane surfaces); uneven (rough and completely irregular surfaces, the commonest fracture type); hackly (sharp edges and jagged points and depressions—e.g., most metals); and splintery (partially separated splinters or fibres—e.g., jadeite [see photograph]). See also cleavage.