Mineral assembly involves the formation of ionic or covalent bonds between cations and anions to create a repeatable crystalline framework. This framework can have isotropic or anisotropic properties depending on consistent or varying structures in different directions. Mineral growth occurs through mechanisms like nucleation and Ostwald ripening as ions come together from melts or solutions to form larger crystals in equilibrium. Polymorphs exist when the same chemical formula produces different mineral structures under varying conditions of formation.