The principal types of natural graphite, each occurring in different types of ore deposits, are

Crystalline small flakes of graphite (or flake graphite) occurs as isolated, flat, plate-like particles with hexagonal edges if unbroken. When broken the edges can be irregular or angular; Amorphous graphite: very fine flake graphite is sometimes called amorphous;[7] Lump graphite (or vein graphite) occurs in fissure veins or fractures and appears as massive platy intergrowths of fibrous or acicular crystalline aggregates, and is probably hydrothermal in origin.[8] Highly ordered pyrolytic graphite refers to graphite with an angular spread between the graphite sheets of less than 1°.[9] The name "graphite fiber" is sometimes used to refer to carbon fibers or carbon fiber-reinforced polymer.