In a letter to von Leonhard René-Just Haüy gave in 1811 the bases of a mineralogical classification of rocks.

In 1813, Brongniart published his mineralogical classification of the rocks which does not refer to Haüy's classification.

In 1819 Breislak emitted the hypothesis that aqueous inclusions inside minerals of the igneous rocks demonstrates the presence of water during magma crystallisation.

In his Treatise on mineralogy published in 1822 René-Just Haüy defined eclogite.

Brongniart is in 1827 the first to distinguish between mineral and rocks, structure and texture. He established a mineralogical classification of the rocks according to their origin.

Fuchs , in 1837, demonstrated that minerals of the granite did not crystallise in the order of their fusion point.

C.F. Schönbein , in 1838, introduced the term " geochemistry ".

Dana , in 1845, demonstrated that the existence of minerals in a rock depends on the conditions of temperature, pressure and the speed of their cooling.

Breithaupt introduced in 1849 the concept of mineral paragenesis.

Elie de Beaumont demonstrated in 1849 the intervention of water in the formation of granite for which he is ready to admit an igneous character.