Optical Mineralogy

Lab 12 - Fall, 2012

Pleochroism, Interference Colors,
and Extinction Angles
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Pleochroism
The ability of a mineral to show different
colors when viewed along differing
crystallographic orientations

Pleochroism Video
Double click to play
movie
Watch the grain in the
very center

Interference Colors
Interference colors are the colors that you see
when a rock thin section is placed between two
pieces of polarizing film
This phenomenon is a side effect of light slowing
down as it passes through different substances
You observe another effect of light slowing down
when you see a straw in a glass of water appear to
bend where it passes into the water
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Index of Refraction
The slowing down of light as it passes
through a substance is measured in a
number called the index of refraction
Interference colors are an effect produced
by the fact that most solids have more than
one index of refraction

Retardation
As the two beams of polarized light pass
through a crystal, they travel at different
speeds and get out of phase
The slow ray is said to be retarded and the
phase difference is called retardation

Integral Retardation
If the retardation is a whole number of
wavelengths, the beams recombine with
the same orientation as when they
entered the crystal
These wavelengths will be blocked by
the upper polarizer

Half-integral Retardation
If the retardation is a whole number
of wavelengths plus one-half, the
beams recombine with an orientation
perpendicular to the original direction
of polarization
These wavelengths will be fully
transmitted by the upper polarizer

Birefringence
The greater the difference between the
indices of refraction, the more intense are
the interference colors produced
The difference in the index of refraction in
two viewing directions is called the
birefringence

Michel-Lvy Color Chart

First order colors are to the left, with orders increasing to the right
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No Birefringence
Garnet is isometric
Birefringence is zero
Therefore the
interference color is
black
This is also known as
being in extinction

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Weak Birefringence
Quartz has very low birefringence
Colors are very muted
1 grays and white

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Low
Birefringence
Kyanite shows some color
Kyanite grain in center is
surrounded by muscovite,
biotite, and opaque minerals
Lower image is in pp note
that kyanite is colorless

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High Birefringence

Muscovite shows high interference colors

Highest colors (4 and beyond) are pastels

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Extinction Angle
The angle formed by one line of the crystal
with the extinction position
Either the longest dimension of the mineral or
the system of cleavage lines are generally used
as this line of reference

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Determination of Extinction Angle

Initially, view the crystal in pp
The reference line is rotated so it coincides
with the direction of the polarizer (E-W)
The analyzer is inserted
The stage is rotated and turned slowly until
extinction occurs
The rotation angle is the extinction angle
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Example Movie 1
Double click to play
the movie
The angle is actually
determined by noting
the position of the
stage before and after
rotation

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Example Movie 2
Double click to play
movie

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Parallel Extinction
When the analyzer is
inserted, if the crystal
is already dark, the
extinction angle is 0
The mineral is said to
have a straight, or
parallel extinction
Double click to play the
movie

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