Yb2Ge2O7 crystallizes in the cubic Fd-3m space group. Yb(1) is bonded to two equivalent O(2) and six equivalent O(1) atoms to form distorted YbO8 hexagonal bipyramids that share edges with six equivalent Yb(1)O8 hexagonal bipyramids and edges with six equivalent Ge(1)O6 octahedra. Ge(1) is bonded to six equivalent O(1) atoms to form GeO6 octahedra that share corners with six equivalent Ge(1)O6 octahedra and edges with six equivalent Yb(1)O8 hexagonal bipyramids. The corner-sharing octahedral tilt angles are 46°. There are two inequivalent O sites. In the first O site, O(1) is bonded to two equivalent Yb(1) and two equivalent Ge(1) atoms to form distorted OYb2Ge2 tetrahedra that share corners with two equivalent O(2)Yb4 tetrahedra, corners with twelve equivalent O(1)Yb2Ge2 tetrahedra,  an edgeedge with one O(2)Yb4 tetrahedra, and edges with four equivalent O(1)Yb2Ge2 tetrahedra. In the second O site, O(2) is bonded to four equivalent Yb(1) atoms to form OYb4 tetrahedra that share corners with four equivalent O(2)Yb4 tetrahedra, corners with twelve equivalent O(1)Yb2Ge2 tetrahedra, and edges with six equivalent O(1)Yb2Ge2 tetrahedra.
Yb2Ge2O7 crystallizes in the cubic Fd-3m space group. Yb(1) is bonded to two equivalent O(2) and six equivalent O(1) atoms to form distorted YbO8 hexagonal bipyramids that share edges with six equivalent Yb(1)O8 hexagonal bipyramids and edges with six equivalent Ge(1)O6 octahedra. Both Yb(1)-O(2) bond lengths are 2.17 Å. All Yb(1)-O(1) bond lengths are 2.48 Å. Ge(1) is bonded to six equivalent O(1) atoms to form GeO6 octahedra that share corners with six equivalent Ge(1)O6 octahedra and edges with six equivalent Yb(1)O8 hexagonal bipyramids. The corner-sharing octahedral tilt angles are 46°. All Ge(1)-O(1) bond lengths are 1.92 Å. There are two inequivalent O sites. In the first O site, O(1) is bonded to two equivalent Yb(1) and two equivalent Ge(1) atoms to form distorted OYb2Ge2 tetrahedra that share corners with two equivalent O(2)Yb4 tetrahedra, corners with twelve equivalent O(1)Yb2Ge2 tetrahedra,  an edgeedge with one O(2)Yb4 tetrahedra, and edges with four equivalent O(1)Yb2Ge2 tetrahedra. In the second O site, O(2) is bonded to four equivalent Yb(1) atoms to form OYb4 tetrahedra that share corners with four equivalent O(2)Yb4 tetrahedra, corners with twelve equivalent O(1)Yb2Ge2 tetrahedra, and edges with six equivalent O(1)Yb2Ge2 tetrahedra.