CRYSTALS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH PERFECTION, transparency, and clarity. Many crystals fit these ideals, especially those cut as gemstones, but most are neither perfect nor transparent. Crystals are solid materials in which the atoms are arranged in a regular pattern (pp. 14-15). Many substances can grow in characteristic geometric forms enclosed by smooth plane surfaces. They are said to have crystallized, and the plane surfaces are known as faces. The word crystal is based on the Greek word krystallos, derived from kryos meaning icy cold. In ancient times it was thought that rock crystal, a colourless variety of quartz, was ice that had frozen so hard it would never melt.