Optical Mineralogy Paul F Kerr.pdf ((hot)) Jun 2026

This allows the student to use a "process of elimination" based on observed data:

Kerr, P. F. (1957). Optical Mineralogy. 2nd ed. McGraw-Hill.

Paul F. Kerr’s Optical Mineralogy is a masterpiece of technical instruction. While technology has advanced to include X-ray diffraction (XRD) and electron microprobes, the polarizing microscope remains the primary tool for field geologists and petrologists. Kerr’s text provides the rigorous background necessary to master this tool, moving students from simple observations of color and shape to complex determinations of crystallographic orientation and chemical composition clues.