A high-temperature form of crystalline silica (quartz) that appears in volcanic rocks and ceramics, formed at very high temperatures.
Named after Cristóbal, a location in Mexico where this mineral was first identified. The '-ite' suffix is standard for minerals, indicating a specific crystalline substance.
Cristobalite is what happens when regular quartz gets so hot it reorganizes its atoms into a different pattern—at 1,700°C, nature's Tetris game changes the rules.
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