🥒 Mineralogy with Sabzi: Meet the Prolate Spheroid Parwal!

At GeoArth, we believe complex geology can be taught with everyday examples — even from the kitchen! Today’s concept is the indicatrix shape of uniaxial minerals, and our teaching assistant is none other than the pointed gourd (parwal).

A prolate spheroid is a 3D shape formed by rotating an ellipse around its major axis, giving it a spindle-like appearance. In this shape, the X and Y axes are equal, while the Z axis (height) is longer than X and Y) and can vary.

A prolate spheroid is the characteristic indicatrix shape of uniaxial minerals such as quartz and beryl.

🧠 Parwal = Prolate Spheroid = Uniaxial Mineral Indicatrix

Next time you see a parwal in your sabzi, remember — that’s how quartz “sees” light! By linking these shapes to real-life visuals, we make optical mineralogy both relatable and unforgettable.