The importance of close packing, which is fundamental for the understanding of the mineral kingdom, is nowadays still disregarded by some mineralogists, although in old times it has been considered one of the main basis of the structure of minerals. A small historical approach is presented and evidence is provided that many mineral structures are based on close packing. The examination of 3248 mineral structures reveals at least 457 close-packed ones, which are compiled into a table.

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