A rare or obsolete term for a crystalline mineral or compound containing crystal-like phenolic or aromatic structures.
From 'crystal' combined with 'sphene' (a mineral titanium silicate) or '-phene' (relating to benzene derivatives in chemistry), creating a hybrid mineralogical term.
This word is practically a fossil of scientific nomenclature—it combines mineralogy and organic chemistry roots in a way that suggests someone trying to classify a material that sits between two different scientific categories.
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