Over 140 color photos, diagrams, and text reveal the crystal structures, habits, names, and changing family relationships of silicate crystals. This thorough guide provides an introduction to crystallography, the current classification of silicate structures, and reviews orthosilicates, disilicates, chain silicates, sheet silicates, and framework silicates. Explore different ways the silicate tetrahedron can be arranged and great diversity of structures that result. Crystal structure is presented with drawings of ideal crystal forms and photographs of real crystals. In this way, mineral collectors can better understand the interplay between atomic arrangements and external habits, and ultimately develop an eye for recognizing crystal symmetry. This book is a must for all serious collectors of minerals.

About the Author
Robert Lauf holds a Ph.D. in Metallurgical Engineering and his scientific career included over twenty years at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. He edits this Collector's Guide series of books on mineralogy, which now includes eight titles.


Book Information
ISBN 9780764335792
Author Robert J. Lauf
Format Paperback
Page Count 96
Imprint Schiffer Publishing Ltd
Publisher Schiffer Publishing Ltd
Weight(grams) 590g