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Mineral tests are simple physical and chemical methods of testing samples, which can help to identify the mineral type. [1] This approach is used widely in mineralogy , ore geology and general geological mapping.
The stage of the microscope should be rotated until maximum colour is found, and therefore, the maximum birefringence. Each mineral, depending on the orientation, may not exhibit the maximum birefringence. It is important to sample a number of similar minerals in order to get the best value of birefringence.
Most commonly, rock and mineral samples are prepared as thin sections or grain mounts for study in the laboratory with a petrographic microscope. Optical mineralogy is used to identify the mineralogical composition of geological materials in order to help reveal their origin and evolution. Some of the properties and techniques used include:
The process of identifying minerals under the microscope is fairly subtle, but also mechanistic – it would be possible to develop an identification key that would allow a computer to do it. The more difficult and skilful part of optical petrography is identifying the interrelationships between grains and relating them to features seen in hand ...
Under cross polarized light (XPL) quartz displays low interference colors and is usually the defining mineral used to determine if the thin section is at standardized thickness of 30 microns as quartz will only display up to a very pale yellow interference color and no further at that thickness, and it is very common in most rocks so it will ...
A petrographic microscope is a type of optical microscope used to identify rocks and minerals in thin sections. The microscope is used in optical mineralogy and petrography, a branch of petrology which focuses on detailed descriptions of rocks. The method includes aspects of polarized light microscopy (PLM).
A conoscopic interference pattern or interference figure is a pattern of birefringent colours crossed by dark bands (or isogyres), which can be produced using a geological petrographic microscope for the purposes of mineral identification and investigation of mineral optical and chemical properties.
Ceramic petrography (or ceramic petrology) is a laboratory-based scientific archaeological technique that examines the mineralogical and microstructural composition of ceramics and other inorganic materials under the polarised light microscope in order to interpret aspects of the provenance and technology of artefacts.