Mineralogically-inspired hydrothermal synthesis provides a wealth of interesting opportunities for the solid-state inorganic chemist.

Hydrothermal crystal growth offers a complementary alternative to many of the classical techniques used to synthesise new materials and grow bulk crystals for various applications. This specialised technique is often capable of growing crystals at temperatures well below their melting points and thus potentially offers routes to new phases or the growth of bulk crystals with less thermal strain. Even some of the most recalcitrant materials can be dissolved, undergo chemistry and be grown as single crystals using hydrothermal solutions. This work reviews the field of bulk hydrothermal crystal growth, highlighting important advances of the past 25 years.