A break or chip, caused by stress, that is in any direction other than parallel to the planes of atoms in a crystalline mineral. The most common type of fracture appears shell-like and is called conchoidal.

Fracture

1. Conchoidal Fracture
   • Has a curved shell-like appearance. This is the most commonly occurring type of fracture.
2. Even Fracture
   • These are smooth in appearance but without the single plane regularity of cleavage. This can be seen in some types of quartz.
3. Uneven Fracture
   • Similar to the edge of broken pottery. This can be found in most all minerals and rocks.
4. Splintery Fracture
   • This is usually observed in nephrite and hematite. Sometimes this is referred to as fibrous.