Book excerpt: The book presents new data on the IR spectra of minerals and on the Raman spectra of more than 2000 mineral species. It also includes examples of IR spectroscopy applications to investigate minerals, and discusses the most important potential applications of Raman spectroscopy in mineralogical research. The book serves as a reference resource and a methodological guide for mineralogists, petrologists and technologists working in the field of inorganic materials.