Review of Handbook of Mineralogy, Volume 1 – Elements, Sulfides, Sulfosalts.

From Rocks & Minerals (1991) 66, 153

by Robert B. Cook, Auburn University

This excellent book is but the first of a five-volume set of comprehensive mineralogical references that will include all chemical classes of minerals, an undertaking considered by the authors to be simply a "stopgap until a modern work comparable in scope and stature to the System becomes available." It is quite likely, however, that upon completion the set is destined to become the next generation’s Dana’s System of Mineralogy in terms of its standard usage. The volume is a fine example of the high-quality product that can now be printed through computerized typesetting directly from a database.

The organizational scheme of Handbook of Mineralogy follows the chemical-structural classification of Dana’s System. However, within the volume minerals are arranged alphabetically, one per page, thus facilitating the location of specific species and eliminating the need for an index. For each mineral, the following data are arranged from the top of the page to the bottom: mineral name and idealized chemical formula; crystal data; physical properties; optical properties, including spectral reflectance data; cell data; X-ray powder diffraction data; chemistry, including one or more analyses, polymorphism, and series data; geological occurrence; mineralogical associations; localities; significance and origin of name; present location of type material; and important references (given in full).