Overview

First published in 1988 this textbook on crystal chemistry covers the basic principles of crystal chemistry and physics and crystallography and introduces the concept of crystal refractivity. The book begins with a discussion of atoms and atomic structure and moves from there to atomic bonding. Throughout this discussion, special emphasis is given to Pauling's rules. The author then treats crystal symmetry, crystal field theory, polyhedral structure and atomic packing. He concludes by introducing the student to more sophisticated optical properties of minerals, refractivity and polarisability in crystals. The material covered is sufficiently basic so that the book will be suitable for undergraduate and graduate student in advanced mineralogy courses. It will also be of interest to individuals, including mineralogists, materials scientists, crystallographers and inorganic chemists who are engaged in academic and industrial research dealing with the structure of the solid state.