JVS Crystal Structure Database

Mineralogy and Human Welfare:

I: Applications in Geology, Petrology, Environmental Science and Industry

II: Catalog of Crystal Structures.

By Joseph V. Smith

This database began as a card file in 1948 merely as a support for directing my research and teaching on the crystal structure and the chemical and physical properties of minerals which now amount to some 4,000 species. In 1990, I began a computer database. It is now expanded to cover biological properties and medical applications. Although it is highly technical, brief statements are added for less experienced readers. You will be able to find references to arsenic in Bengal; zeolite molecular sieve catalysts in the petroleum industry; bacteria and soil minerals; applications in art and archaeology, to give just a few examples.

Several books on Mineralogy and Human Welfare are in preparation to cover various aspects of human welfare at various technical levels, where the importance of mineralogy is clearly described. Particularly important are books written for my friends back in Derbyshire where I relate the knowledge gained from farming, coal & lead mining, and factories to their health and happiness.

This detailed database is designed for research workers, who may wish to consult: HD Holland KK Turekian ed 2003 Treatise on Geochemistry, 0-08-043751-6. Selected references will provide a basis for my less-technical books.

The first section stands by itself as a guide to how important mineralogy is to human welfare. It is followed by an alphabetical listing of minerals.

Follow the links below to access the database.

Part I: Applications in Geology, Petrology, Environmental Science and Industry (151 pages)

Part II: Catalog of Crystal Structures (alphabetical)

Minerals A-B (71 pages)

Minerals C-D (68 pages)

Minerals E-F (114 pages)

Minerals G-H (52 pages)

Minerals I-L (61 pages)

Minerals M-N (65 pages)

Minerals O-R (74 pages)

Minerals S-T (75 pages)