Truly understanding a mineral requires both knowing the crystal structure and chemistry of the mineral. Combining this data together helps to better understand the processes that formed the mineral, how they are distributed, and how best to exploit them as a resource.
From X-ray mapping (EDS) and OIM scans (EBSD), we truly can look at the material properties from the atomic arrangements to the pressure and temperatures that something formed at or how their material properties change as pressure and temperature conditions change. With knowledge gained from microanalysis you can understand how materials react on the atomic scale to understand deformation, on the planetary scale to understand how a planet was formed, and many other processes.