Optical Mineralogy Paul F Kerr.pdf Updated Jun 2026

If you cannot find a legitimate copy of Kerr or want to supplement it, consider these :

Dr. Elara Vance pressed the heels of her hands into her tired eyes. The dual nicols of the petrographic microscope swam back into focus, revealing the thin section of lunar basalt. Under crossed polars, the plagioclase feldspar displayed its characteristic twinning—stripes of alternating black and gray, sharp as a zebra’s back. But something was wrong. An interstitial mineral, no more than a sliver, blazed with an interference color she didn’t recognize. Not the chalky gray of quartz, not the vibrant blue of hypersthene. It was the bruised purple of a sunset over a dead volcano. Optical Mineralogy Paul F Kerr.pdf

One of the most valuable assets in Kerr’s book is the inclusion of determinative tables. Unlike dichotomous keys that force a strict path, Kerr often utilizes tabular data where minerals are grouped by optical properties (e.g., "Minerals with Low Relief" or "Minerals with High Birefringence"). If you cannot find a legitimate copy of