Having recently added an advanced Raman spectrograph with luminescent capabilities to their already impressive list of laser and other spectrographic measuring instruments, physicists at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) are making contributions to a better understanding of the structure and nature of materials. This latest acquisition, which incorporates advanced features such as a Raman microscope and a CCD array detector, which is considerably more sensitive than photomultiplier detectors, facilitates the determination of spectral features not previously possible.