The role of single-crystal X-ray diffraction in the description of new mineral species

The discovery and formal approval of a new mineral species require the integration of chemical, crystallographic, and structural information. Among the available analytical techniques, single-crystal X-ray diffraction (hereafter SCXRD) remains the most powerful method for determining the crystal structure of crystalline materials and, in turn, of minerals. In recent decades, advances in instrumentation and analytical methods have greatly expanded the capability of SCXRD, allowing reliable structure determination even from extremely small crystals and this is impacting the number of new mineral species that every year the mineralogical community is able to discover. Here, after an experience of around 20 years with SCXRD focused on new mineral discoveries and with about 80 new minerals collaboration, I will shortly describe how we apply SCXRD technique within the complex scientific procedure of the new mineral discovery and description.