Krystall

Krystal, in many languages including English and Swedish, refers to a solid material in which the components—atoms, ions, or molecules—are arranged in a highly ordered, repeating internal structure that extends in all directions. This ordered arrangement forms a crystal lattice and is responsible for characteristic external shapes, cleavage patterns, and a range of anisotropic properties. Crystals occur naturally as minerals and can also be produced artificially in laboratories and industrial processes.

Crystallography studies the arrangement of atoms within crystals. The internal pattern is described by a unit cell and the lattice that repeats in three-dimensional space. There are seven crystal systems (cubic, tetragonal, orthorhombic, trigonal, monoclinic, triclinic, and hexagonal) and 14 Bravais lattices, reflecting the possible symmetries and repeating motifs. X-ray diffraction and related methods are fundamental tools for determining crystal structures and for solving complex molecular arrangements.

Crystals form through solidification from a melt, precipitation from a solution, or deposition from a gas. Natural crystals include minerals such as halite (sodium chloride), quartz (silicon dioxide), and native metals; artificial crystals are produced for electronics, optics, and materials research. Crystal types are commonly categorized by bond types: ionic crystals (NaCl), covalent network crystals (diamond, quartz), metallic crystals (pure metals and alloys), and molecular crystals (ice, some organic compounds). Properties such as hardness, cleavage, refractive index, and birefringence vary with structure and composition, influencing applications in jewelry, optics, electronics, and industrial minerals.

Etymology traces the word to Greek krustallos, via Latin crystallus, reflecting the long history of studying solid, well-ordered materials.