Kuye ngezinga lokushisa kanye nomswakama womoya, amakhekheba eqhwa akha inqwaba yokubunjwa okuhlukahlukene. Umhwamuko wembesa izinhlayiya zothuli ezincane, eziqina zibe amakristalu eqhwa. Amangqamuzana amanzi akleliswe esakhiweni esiyi-hexagonal (i-hexagonal). Umphumela wale nqubo ikhekheba leqhwa elihle ngendlela emangalisayo elathandwa yiwo wonke umuntu kusukela ebuntwaneni.
Ikhekheba leqhwa elisanda kwakhiwa lisinda kunomoya, liwenza liwe. Ukuwela Emhlabeni ngomoya omanzi, umhwamuko omningi uyabanda futhi umboze ubuso bamakristalu. Inqubo yokuqandisa ikhekheba leqhwa ihlelekile kakhulu. Nakuba wonke amakhekheba eqhwa anama-hexagonal, yonke eminye imininingwane yamaphethini awo iyahlukahluka. Njengoba kushiwo ngenhla, lokhu kuthinteka izinga lokushisa kanye nomswakama lapho ikhekheba leqhwa lakha khona. Ezinye izinhlanganisela zalezi zici ezimbili zifaka isandla ekwakhiweni kwamaphethini "ngezinaliti" ezinde, kuyilapho abanye bedweba amaphethini amaningi ahlotshisiwe.
(IJeriko, eVermont) waba umuntu wokuqala owathwebula isithombe sekhekheba leqhwa esebenzisa isibonakhulu esixhunywe ekhamera. Iqoqo lakhe lezithombe ezingu-5000 limangaze abantu ngezinhlobonhlobo zamakristalu eqhwa.
Ngo-1952, ososayensi abavela ku-International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) bakha uhlelo olwahlukanisa ikhekheba leqhwa libe yizimo eziyishumi eziyisisekelo. Uhlelo lwe-IACS lusasetshenziswa nanamuhla, nakuba izinhlelo eziyinkimbinkimbi sezivele zikhona. U-Kenneth Libbrecht, uprofesa wesayensi yemvelo e-California Institute of Technology, wenze ucwaningo olunzulu lokuthi ama-molecule amanzi akha kanjani amakristalu eqhwa. Ocwaningweni lwakhe, wathola ukuthi amaphethini ayinkimbinkimbi kakhulu aguqulwa esimweni sezulu esinomswakama. Amakhekheba eqhwa omoya owomile avame ukuba namaphethini alula. Ngaphezu kwalokho, amakhekheba eqhwa awe emazingeni okushisa angaphansi kuka-22C ngokuvamile akhiwa amaphethini alula, kuyilapho amaphethini ayinkimbinkimbi etholakala kumakhekheba eqhwa afudumele.
Ngokukasosayensi we-National Center for Atmospheric Research eBoulder, eColorado, isilinganiso samakhekheba eqhwa aqukethe . UDavid Phillips, isazi sesimo sezulu esiphezulu e-Environmental Conservancy eCanada, uphawula ukuthi inani lamakhekheba eqhwa awile selokhu waba khona uMhlaba angu-10 alandelwa oziro abangu-34.