cris⋅to⋅bal⋅ite
[kri-stoh-buh-lahyt] 
bəˌlaɪt
| a polymorph of quartz occurring in volcanic rock in the form of colorless, translucent crystals. |
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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cristobalite
the stable form of silica (silicon dioxide, SiO2) between its melting point of 1,728 C (3,142 F) and 1,470 C (2,678 F), below which tridymite is the stable form. Cristobalite has two modifications: low-cristobalite, which occurs naturally up to 268 C (514 F) but is not stable; and high-cristobalite, which occurs above 268 C but is only stable above 1,470 C. Natural low-cristobalite usually occurs in sub-microcrystalline masses (see opal) or fibrous to columnar spherulites (see lussatite) in igneous rocks. Cristobalite has the same chemical composition as coesite, stishovite, quartz, and tridymite but has a different crystal structure. For detailed physical properties, see silica mineral (table)
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