Spectroscopic methods are a fundamental part of modern mineralogy and provide a local sensor to obtain site-specific properties on a vast range of materials, from liquids and melts to glasses and poorly crystallised phases to all types of crystals. Spectroscopy is now routinely used to solve many mineralogical and petrological questions, and the field is rapidly developing, particularly with respect to spatial resolution and application to in situ experiments. Many of these developments have been made possible by using synchrotron radiation sources worldwide covering a broad range of energies. Such advances allow us to understand better the mineralogy, composition, thermal state and dynamics of the Earth’s interior. This session will highlight recent developments as well as showcase research reporting the application of spectroscopy to cutting edge problems in mineralogy.