Review of Handbook of Mineralogy. II. Silica, Silicates.

From the Mineralogical Record (1995) 26, 563.

by Pete J. Dunn, Smithsonian Institution.

The Handbook of Mineralogy, continued with this publication of the silicates in two books (together comprising Volume II) is a most welcome and exciting addition to the bookshelf. It provides a very up-to-date reference work for all silicate minerals, including publications in the international literature through 1992, and publications in the American Mineralogist through 1994, for both full descriptions and abstracts.

Those who have been using the first volume of the Handbook of Mineralogy for the last 4-5 years will slip seamlessly into using Volume II. The style is the same, with all silicate species listed alphabetically, one per page, and the critical data for each species neatly and consistently summarized. All the high-quality characteristics of Volume I (see review in Mineralogical Record, 22, 59-60) are repeated in Volume II. This is the "Dana" for the next few generations.

The two parts of Volume II are consecutively paginated. Part 1 contains the species abswurmbachite through lamprophyllite, and Part 2 contains the species långbanite through zussmanite. The special complexities of amphibole nomenclature are explained in a 5-page prefatory section, and the introduction is well written and informative.