Hello,

 

I am looking for recommendations on introductory literature about crystallography.

I am specifically seeking out materials that are quite visually oriented with as little advanced math as possible.

My intention is to gain an aesthetic appreciation, and some conceptual level of understanding things like space group transformations and self-organizing inorganic matter.

 

Is there a "Brief History of Time" for crystallography?

 

I am coming from a musician/artist background, hence the request for something very visual and aesthetically compelling.

 

Hello,

 

I am looking for recommendations on introductory literature about crystallography.

I am specifically seeking out materials that are quite visually oriented with as little advanced math as possible.

My intention is to gain an aesthetic appreciation, and some conceptual level of understanding things like space group transformations and self-organizing inorganic matter.

 

Is there a "Brief History of Time" for crystallography?

 

I am coming from a musician/artist background, hence the request for something very visual and aesthetically compelling.

I used to have a copy of the National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Rocks and Minerals, and as I recall there is a section illustrating and describing crystallographic forms.

 

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0394502698/ref=asc_df_03945026983017129?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=pg-1583-86-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395097&creativeASIN=0394502698

 

 

Perfect for mountain climbers and hikers, this valuable reference covers more rocks and minerals in North America than any other available guide. 794 full-color photographs depict all the important rocks, gems, and minerals -- in many variations of color and crystal form -- and the natural environments in which they occur; written descriptions provide information on field marks, similar rocks and minerals, environment, areas of occurrence, and derivation of names. Includes a guide to mineral collecting and a list of rock-forming minerals.

Crystallography in a scientific milieu normal refers to the study of atomic arrangement structure of chemicals - rather than identification and study of crystals per se. More often than not this is determined by the diffraction pattern obtained (xrays used normally) on either a crystallized sample or even just a solid lump (DNA).

 

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/crystallography

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystallography

Crystallography in a scientific milieu normal refers to the study of atomic arrangement structure of chemicals - rather than identification and study of crystals per se. More often than not this is determined by the diffraction pattern obtained (xrays used normally) on either a crystallized sample or even just a solid lump (DNA).

 

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/crystallography

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystallography

I accept your rigorous qualifications insofar as it applies to the scientific milieu. If you meant it to discount my recommendation however I'd like to make some defense of it. Bloopy made a specific clarification saying "I am coming from a musician/artist background, hence the request for something very visual and aesthetically compelling.", and while I looked at your Wikipedia link specifically and considered posting it in my earlier reply I didn't feel it fit Bloopy's bill. Your links are/were worth throwing in the mix nonetheless and we can only hope Bloopy comes back to let us know.

 

I think I poorly described the diagrams I was remembering and found no illustrations in review of the field-guide, but the diagrams are a little more rigorous than I may have let on. As I recall they are -more rigorously described- lattice diagrams illustrating one class of space groups, the lattice system. There are lattice system diagrams at the Wikipedia page on Crystal structure. >> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_structure

 

Because the field-guide has visual and aesthetically compelling photgraphs of crystals which are keyed to the lattice system diagrams, I still think it would be of interest and/or value in Bloopy's mise en scène .

Personally I would start with the Readers Digest book

 

Rocks and Fossils

 

A visual guide

 

by

 

Robert R Coenraads

 

For this application.

 

go well