Mineral Optical Properties

Formula Crystal Crystal Habits Color / Pleochorisme Extinction Dispersion

System
Olivine (MgFe)2SiO4 Orthorhombic Granular masses Colorless to pale green in thin parallel Relatively
or rounded grains section. Weak, pale green weak
pleochroism in thin section.
Pyroxene Enstatite MgSiO3 Orthorhombic Grains often green or bluish green z=pale Parallel in r>v
Ferrosilite FeSiO3 anhedral; May be brownish green, green or longitudinal
granular, massive, yellow-green sections and
columnar or symmetrical in
lamellar basal sections
Amphibole (Ca,Na)2- Monoclinic, May be columnar Pleochroic in various shades of Symmetrical to n/a
+2
3(Mg,Fe ,Fe+3,Al)5Si6(Si,Al)2O22(OH)2 inosilicate, or fibrous; coarse green and brown. In PPL a thin cleavages
2/m to fine grained section of Hornblende ranges
from yellow -green to dark
brown
Biotite K(Mg,Fe)3AlSi3O10(OH,O,F)2 Monoclinic Pseudo-hexagonal Typically brown, brownish Parallel or v > r (weak)
(2/m) prisms or lamellar green or reddish brown close to
plates without parallel
crystal outline.
Orthochlase - Monoclinic - Non-pleochroic X^a = 6°-14°, -
Y^c = -13° to
21°, Z = b
Muscovite KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 Monoclinic Well formed colorless in thin section. No Parallel to Biotite
(2/m) crystals are pleochroism. cleavage in all (darker in
tabular and have orientations, color and is
pseudohexagonal BIRD’S EYE pleochroic in
outlines ppl)
Quartz SiO2 hexagonal prismatic colorless, white, purple, yellow, - -
hexagonal crystals brown, pink, blue
with horizontally
striated faced
Sanidin K(AlSi3O8) - - - - -
Microclin K(AlSi3O8) - - - Inclined -
extinction to
cleavage