This research is comprised of two projects involving the use of single crystal Xray diffraction to for mineral structure determination. Chapter 1 involves determination of structural variation along the Mn ↔ Fe solid solution of the lithiophilite-triphylite series, olivine structure types. Bond lengths and angle variance are examined to determine their variation along the Mn ↔ Fe join and their relationships to other silicate and germanate olivine structures. The angle variance of the phosphate olivines was smaller in the M1 octahedron, which is in contrast to the other olivine structure phases examined in this study.

In Chapter 2, diffraction data were collected on phenakite, danburite, spodumene, hambergite, lithiophilite, axinite, and prismatine, which are to be used as light element (Li, Be, and B) mineral standards. The data were used to determine the atomic positional parameters, site geometry, site occupancy, and polyhedral connectivity of each sample.