This practical guide to spectroscopy and inorganic materials meets the demand from academia and the science community for an introductory text that introduces the different optical spectroscopic techniques, used in many laboratories, for material characterisation. * Treats the most basic aspects to be introduced into the field of optical spectroscopy of inorganic materials, enabling a student to interpret simple optical (absorption, reflectivity, emission and scattering) spectra * Contains simple, illustrative examples and solved exercises * Covers the theory, instrumentation and applications of spectroscopy for the characterisation of inorganic materials, including lasers, phosphors and optical materials such as photonics This is an ideal beginner's guide for students with some previous knowledge in quantum mechanics and optics, as well as a reference source for professionals or researchers in materials science, especially the growing field of optical materials.