When a mineral breaks evenly, it exhibits a property known as "cleavage." This occurs along specific planes of weakness in the mineral's crystal structure, allowing it to split smoothly and predictably. Cleavage is a key characteristic used to identify minerals, as the angles and quality of the breaks can vary between different types. In contrast, minerals that break unevenly display a property called "fracture."
Copyright © 2026 eLLeNow.com All Rights Reserved.