The study of distribution patterns of impurity elements is a necessary addition to the genetic and industrial characterization of ores and is of particular importance in connection with the problem of their integrated use. In ores of Sarbaisky deposit iron as the leading ore-forming element is accompanied by a significant number of impurity elements, the most important of which is cobalt.

The growth mechanism determines the shape and size of the crystal, the presence of chemical and mechanical impurities in it, and is recorded in the sculptural features of the faces, particularly in the hatching. The most complete summary of the sculpture of crystal faces and methods of its study is given in the last work of V. G. Feklichev. However, most of the methods used to study the facet surface provide a qualitative characterization of the sculpture without evaluating the absolute sizes of its constituent elements.