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Reflected Light
Microscopy
Francis, 2013
gold
gold
arsenopyrite
Sulfide minerals and many oxides are gold
opaque to transmitted light and can only
be optically studied using reflected light.
Reflectance is the measure of the ratio of the intensity of reflected light from a
minerals surface to the intensity of incident plane-polarized light ( = 546 nm).
Although reflectance can be quantitatively measured with suitable equipment, in
general practice one qualitatively estimates reflectance by comparing the unknown
mineral to a known mineral.
Increasing reflectivity:
sphalerite (17%) < magnetite (21%) < galena (43%) < pyrite (55%) < gold (75%)
Colour is a more subtle feature in reflected light than in transmitted light, but can be
very diagnostic. For example, Fe-oxides are commonly grey while many sulfides are
distinctly yellowish in colour. Sphalerite and galena are exceptions, however, being
grey and greyish-white respectively.
Note: Sulfide minerals tarnish easily, so it is best to buff them gently on a cloth with
0.3 micron abrasive powder when first examining them.
Reflectence / Colour
galena
gold
pyrite
galena
gold
bornite
chalcocite arsenopyrite
Bireflectance and Reflection Pleochroism
As in transmitted light, isometric opaque minerals remain unchanged upon rotation of the
microscope stage. Strongly anisotropic opaque minerals, however, may exhibit noticeable changes
in reflectivity (bireflectance) or colour (pleochroism) upon rotation of the microscopes stage.
Anisotropy
Isometric minerals appear either black under crossed polars, or remain dark grey upon rotation of
the stage. Anisotropic minerals may exhibit a noticeable variation colour or brightness upon
rotation of the stage, exhibiting 4 positions of extinction and 4 positions of maximum intensity or
colour. These effects are often quite subtle and require careful observation. It sometimes helps to
rotate the analyzer of the microscope slightly from the 90 o crossed polar position to observe these
features.
Internal Reflections
Minerals that are not totally opaque sometimes display coloured internal reflections under crossed
polars when using bright illumination. Such internal reflections are characteristic of minerals such
as sphalerite and the ruby-silver sulfosalts (eg. proustite pyrargyrite Ag 3AsS3 - Ag3SbS2).
Internal reflections are also a good way of distinguishing silicate minerals in reflected light.
Cleavage
Cleavage is often easily seen in polished surfaces in
reflected light as dark lines and straight sided pits, and can
be characteristic of some minerals. For example, the
polished surface of galena characteristically displays galena
Gold
distinctive triangular pits because of its three directions of
90o cleavage.
Hardness
The opaque minerals vary greatly in polishing hardness.
Polishing hardness can be judged by the quality of the
polished surface (the hardest surfaces have the most
Gold
mirror-like finishes) and can be tested with a needle or by
measuring relative polishing reliefs of adjacent grains
using the Kalb line test. The Kalb line is somewhat soft
analogous to the Becke line in transmitted light. When
using the high power objective, and a partly closed hard
diaphragm, lowering the stage will cause the Kalb line
to move from the grain boundary towards the softer of two arsenopyrite
adjacent mineral grains.
hematite
chalcopyrite
bornite
galena
sphalerite
Feo
chromite
magnetite
Lunar High-Ti
Mare Basalts
magnetite
magnetite
ilmenite
ilmenite
troilite
Meteorites
troilite