mineral, synthetic mineral, mineral variety
crystal, crystallization
morphology
crystallography
euhedral, subhedral, anhedral
crystalline, microcrystalline, cryptocrystalline
amorphous, mineraloid
imperfections
nucleation, nucleus

Understand the growth of a crystal as a function of its environment and its competition for atoms and space.

Give examples of crystallization of minerals in a variety of natural environments.

What factors can affect the morphology of a growing crystal?