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In mineralogy, an inclusion is any material trapped inside a mineral during its formation. In gemology , it is an object enclosed within a gemstone or reaching its surface from the interior. [ 1 ] According to James Hutton 's law of inclusions, fragments included in a host rock are older than the host rock itself.
Speaking broadly, mineral color points out the specific gravity of the mineral, as minerals that are lighter in color tend to be less dense. Darker minerals typically tend to contain more of relatively heavy elements, notably iron, magnesium, and calcium. [2] The temperature of crystallization affects what the color index of rocks tends to be. [10]
Michel-Lévy interference colour chart issued by Zeiss Microscopy. In optical mineralogy, an interference colour chart, also known as the Michel-Levy chart, is a tool first developed by Auguste Michel-Lévy to identify minerals in thin section using a petrographic microscope.
The timing of mineral crystallization can be used to categorize diamond inclusions into three types: protogenetic, syngenetic, and epigenetic inclusions. [14] Minerals in the protogenetic inclusions were crystallized earlier than the diamond formation. The host diamond encapsulated pre-existing minerals during its crystallization.
Hydrothermal ore minerals, which typically form from high temperature aqueous solutions, trap tiny bubbles of liquids or gases when cooling and forming solid rock. The trapped fluid in an inclusion preserves a record of the composition, temperature and pressure of the mineralizing environment. [1] An inclusion often contains two or more phases ...
Jasper, an aggregate of microgranular quartz and/or cryptocrystalline chalcedony and other mineral phases, [1] [2] is an opaque, [3] impure variety of silica, usually red, yellow, brown or green in color; and rarely blue. The common red color is due to iron(III) inclusions.
Dark mica from eastern Ontario. Micas (/ ˈ m aɪ k ə z / MY-kəz) are a group of silicate minerals whose outstanding physical characteristic is that individual mica crystals can easily be split into fragile elastic plates. This characteristic is described as perfect basal cleavage.
A mafic mineral or rock is a silicate mineral or igneous rock rich in magnesium and iron. Most mafic minerals are dark in color, and common rock-forming mafic minerals include olivine, pyroxene, amphibole, and biotite. Common mafic rocks include basalt, diabase and gabbro. Mafic rocks often also contain calcium-rich varieties of plagioclase ...