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Article: Luminescence in minerals.
- Article from:
- The Mineralogical Record
- Article date:
- January 1, 1996
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1996 The Mineralogical, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Luminescence is not only a source of beauty and interest in minerals, but is also of great scientific and economic importance. Most familiar to the student of mineralogy is the colorful luminescence of some minerals under ultraviolet light, known as photoluminescence or fluorescence. The causes of these colors are similar for all types of luminescence. A basic understanding of luminescence phenomena can give insight into a mineral's formation and the details of its structure and chemistry.
INTRODUCTION
Luminescence is the non-thermal emission of visible light by a substance. The emission of visible light by minerals in response to irradiation by ultraviolet ...