In his foreword to Structural Mineralogy. An classification was taken into account. The first Introduction (Lima-de-Faria, 1994) P.B. Moore classification of this type, which takes into con emphasized that this book "is really not an end in sideration the distribution of bonds in a structure, itself. Rather it is a rallying call to urge further was that of silicates proposed by Machatschki clarification, representation and systematization (1928) and developed by Bragg (1930) and Naray of already known structures." If we consider the Szabo (1930). new book by Lima-de-Faria, Structural Classi The pure structural classification of minerals fication of Minerals, in this context, we can ask was first proposed by J. Lima-de-Faria in 1983. It corresponds to the application of the general what kind of new mineralogical data it contains. The twentieth century was characterized by structural classification of inorganic compounds great progress in the study of minerals. Less than (Lima-de-Faria & Figueiredo, 1976) to minerals, 100 minerals were known up until 1800. Since that which are an integral part of them. The most time, the rate of discovery of new minerals is general approach of the structural systematics is steadily increasing. Now it is found that natural based on the analysis of the strength distribution processes select some 4000 mineral species, and and of the directional character of the bonds in this number is increasing by 50-60 minerals every crystal structures."

This book presents the third volume of a complete development of the new structural classification of minerals, which is based on the internal crystal structure, and is therefore its natural classification. Because of the large domain of the mineral kingdom, this work is divided in three volumes, in which the minerals are ordered from the structurally simple to the more complex.

Audience: This work will be of particular interest to teachers and research workers of in mineralogy, and in inorganic crystal structures in academia.

Recently, many fine textbooks in mineralogy have notable early achievements in unravelling the crys- appeared. The great tradition of mineral science tal structures of minerals. I would include Zachari- continued for over 100 years in Dana's systems, as en and Belov as well, two other giants in crystal textbooks, and manuals, replete with discussion on structure analysis. How many contributed in their crystallographic characters, and short statements own way to our science? Ten? Fifty? One hundred? on the mineral species as then known. The more re- It depends on how you weight the count, but I cent superb RamdohrlStrunz Klockmann's Lehr- suspect it is closest to the biggest number just men- tioned. buch der Mineralogie is a mine of rich crystal- chemical information, perhaps the finest contem- The explosive growth in information (Ger. : porary pedagogic book of its kind. Within the past Fach) on crystal structures began about 1950, when three years, a new and ambitious project - the the big computers and automated diffractometers were just emerging. It contributes mightily to our Handbook of Mineralogy by several keen mineralo- gists - receives much assistance from up-to-date science (Ger. : Naturwissenschaft). Unfortunately, computer technology and promises to be a very fine technological knowledge seems to come easily now, series. The little Mineral Reference Manual by Nic- and Fach appears to be outstripping Naturwissen- schaft, a sorry state of affairs.

This book presents the third volume of a complete development of the new structural classification of minerals, which is based on the internal crystal structure, and is therefore its natural classification. Because of the large domain of the mineral kingdom, this work is divided in three volumes, in which the minerals are ordered from the structurally simple to the more complex.

Audience: This work will be of particular interest to teachers and research workers of in mineralogy, and in inorganic crystal structures in academia.

We have used in Vol.2 the same structural scheme similar they are organized alphabetically, just for as used in Vol. 1. convenience in consulting.The alphabetical order We used as the list of minerals the reference is provisional, it is not an important aspect of the book Mineral Reference Manual by Nickel and classification, and willtend to disappear. Nichols, edited by Van Nostrand Reinhold, New In Vol. 1 some condensed model sheets were York, 1991, and we first organized the minerals by presented to illustrate the simplicityof the patterns chemical formulas, from the simpler to the more of the packing layers of the A, AmB and ApBqC n r complex (Tables 73 to 172), as presented on page close-packed minerals (Tables lL to 17Lof Vol.1). 1of Vol.1.The results of the structural studywere The aim was to stimulate the complete systematic ordered by structural formulas (Tables 27S to derivation of the simple mineral close-packed 59S). Then we summarized the classified structure structures, as was tried by the author (Lima-de- types (not including the tentatively classified) in Faria (1965) Zeit. Krist., 122, 359-374). In Vol. 2 Tables 60S to 61S. Finally we presented some the layers are more complex and the correspond- global results (Tables 62S and 63S). ing condensed models sheets were not included. In certain cases the general chemical and the The reader should refer to the book Structural structural formulas may be difficult to compare.