Kinematic mount

An optical element (10) is mounted and aligned with minimum strain and distortion within a support (12) to which at least three mounts (14) are attached and spaced 120 DEG about the periphery of the optical element. Each mount comprises a spherical disc (16) spherically contacting a spherical surface (30) on a seat (20) which is linearly moveable within a housing (18). Each disc abuts and supports the optical element. Any loading exerted on the support causes the discs to rotate with respect to the seats and the seats to reciprocate with respect to the annular disc-retaining housings to prevent such loadings from being transmitted to the optical element, thereby enabling the optical element to maintain a chosen, strain-free orientation with pressure on the spherical disc being evenly distributed.