Rocks & Minerals: Crystals

This guide to crystals is part of a series that introduces the main types of rocks and soils, important minerals and their composition and properties. Using a variety of examples and evidence, it explains how and why they occur, and the processes involved in their formation. The uses of rocks, soil and minerals are explored, and how we come into contact with them in everyday life. The series also covers environmental and social issues associated with their extraction and use, such as pollution and the impact of mining on the environment.