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Minerals under the microscope. The MINERALS you need to know quartz microcline plagioclase muscovite biotite amphibole pyroxene olivine garnet calcite. Quartz grains in sandstone. quartz. quartz. quartz. quartz. PPL. XPL. plagioclase. Plagioclase with repeated twinning.
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The MINERALS you need to know • quartz • microcline • plagioclase • muscovite • biotite • amphibole • pyroxene • olivine • garnet • calcite
Quartzgrains in sandstone quartz quartz quartz quartz PPL XPL
plagioclase Plagioclasewith repeated twinning plagioclase PPL XPL
Microclinegrain in centre showing its distinctive cross-hatched twinning microcline microcline PPL XPL
Muscovite clear under PPL but with perfect cleavage and bright interference colours muscovite muscovite PPL XPL PPL XPL
feldspar feldspar Biotitepleochroic with one perfect cleavage; strong natural colour masks polarisation colours making look greenish under XPL biotite biotite PPL : lower view rotated to show pleochroism XPL biotite
Amphibolepleochroic with 2 cleavages at 60o or 120o distinguishing it from biotite or pyroxene amphibole amphibole PPL : lower view showing pleochroism XPL
Pyroxenewell-formed crystal seen here with 2 cleavages at 90o: brightly coloured under XPL pyroxene pyroxene enlarged PPL XPL
Olivinelooks like a stained-glass window; bright interference colours and thick black fractures olivine olivine plagioclase plagioclase PPL XPL
Garnetrounded crystal,transparent under PPL but goes extinct under XPL garnet garnet PPL XPL
Calcitemay show both high and low relief, transparent under PPL with 2 perfect cleavages at 120o. Under XPL it shows pearly shades calcite calcite PPL XPL