Report of the International Mineralogical Association (IMA)–International Union of Crystallography (IUCr) Joint Committee on Nomenclature

This report lists nomenclature recommendations resulting from a six-year study of problems common to the disciplines of mineralogy and crystallography. The recommendations include definitions of polytypism, topotaxy, syntaxy, and epitaxy, certain criteria for mineral names, preferred format for chemical formulae, and preferred symbols for crystallographic axes and repeat distances. Two recommended systems of structural symbols to be used to differentiate polytypes are presented.