Microscopy from Carl Zeiss

Michel-Lévy Color Chart

Identification of minerals in polarized light

“Analyzing the surface structure and the

metalli­zation of our solar cells has never been
so comfortable and easy, thanks to our Carl
Zeiss microscope.”

Dipl.-Phys. Alexandra Schmid

centrotherm photovoltaics technology GmbH

Information on Polarization Microscopy

 Polarization in transmitted light

Orthoscopy Conoscopy

Orthoscopy and conoscopy are the two Eye

key methods in traditional transmitted
light polarization microscopy. With their
different approaches, they provide dif-
ferent options, for example for mineral Eyepiece
identification in geological microscopy.

The Phototube Pol is designed for high-

performance conoscopy. Intermediate image plane
Thanks to its additional intermediate image
plane with suspended crosshair and field of view
diaphragm, it permits the conoscopy of crystals
larger than 10 μm.

Tube lens

In orthoscopy, every object Bertrand lens plane

Intermediate tube Pol

point corresponds to a point
in the image. Minerals are
identified by morphological and *
Intermediate
optical properties like shape,
image plane
cracks, color and pleochroism,
and by their characteristic in-
terference colors. In conoscopy
on the other hand, every image Bertrand system
point corresponds to a direction Depolarizer
in the specimen. This technique Analyzer
requires the use of the highest Compensator plane
objective and condenser aper-
ture possible. Objective pupil
Objective
When the Amici-Bertrand lens is placed
in the light path, the interference or axial
Specimen plane
image in the back focal plane of the speci-
men becomes visible. Conoscopy is em-
ployed whenever additional information Condenser
about the specimen is required for optical
analysis. It provides interference images
that can be seen through the eyepiece Aperture diaphragm
and enables differentiation according
to 1 or 2 axes and with compensator λ Polarizer
(λ-plate, Red I), according to 1-axis posi-
tive/negative or 2-axis positive/negative. Luminous field diaphragm

Collector

Light source (filament)

2 * Field of view diaphragm

Determination of birefringence by means of the
Michel-Lévy Color Chart

When a ray of light enters an anisotropic medium, it is almost

always split into two linearly polarized waves; the ordinary and the
extraordinary ray. Both partial rays are characterized by different
propagation rates due to different refraction indices. This charac-
teristic is called birefringence. The oscillation planes of these two
partial rays are perpendicular to each other.

The superposition of the two partial waves (constructive or destruc-

tive) is called interference; the colors which appear under crossed
(90°) polarizers are called interference colors.

Rotating the mineral into the

position of extinction
Total extinction (darkest position of
mineral)

2 3 4

Rotating the mineral into a diagonal
position
(45° from position of extinction)
Maximum brightness
Identification of interference color:
blue
This amounts to two distinct possibilities:
second order blue
(path difference ca 655 nm)
third order blue
(path difference ca 1150 nm)
Inserting the lambda compensator
(Addition of a path difference of 551 nm)
Assumption: second order blue
(path difference ca 655 nm)
Effect: In subtraction position the
mineral appears lavender- to bluegrey
(655 nm – 551 nm = 104 nm)
5
Rotating the mineral by a further 90°
Effect: In this position (addition posi-
tion) the mineral appears greenish blue
(655 nm + 551 nm = 1206 nm)
Result: The interference color has been
identified as a second order blue.

Determining the birefringence with the Michel-Lévy Color Chart

Follow the 655 nm line of the path dif-
ference across to find the intersection
with the corresponding thickness line
(usually 25 – 30 μm). From this intersec-
tion, follow the "sun line" downwards
towards the bottom right to pinpoint
the respective birefringence magnitude
on the scale on the right. In this case
this leads to a birefringence value of
0.024; the mineral has been identified
as an augite.

3
 4
Reading direction
Thickness

0
10
20
30
40
50
d [µm]
(nγ – nα)
Birefringence
Black 0
Iron gray
40 0.001 Pennine Analcite Cryolite
Leucite Melilite
Lavender gray 97 0.002 Ripidolite Apophyllite Saponite
Marialite Halloysite

Gray blue 0.003 Phillipsite Apatite β-Cristobalite

158 Kämmererite Chabazite α-Tricalciumphosphate

200 0.004 Riebeckite Eudialyte Vesuvianite

Clear gray 218 Chamosite Vanthoffite Tridymite
Greenish white 234
Nearly pure white 259 0.005 Clinozoisite Nepheline Serendibite
Yellowish white 267 Arfvedsonite Sanidine Coesite
Pale straw yellow 275
Straw yellow 281 Heulandite Beryl Orthoclase
Light yellow 306 0.006
Sapphirine Zoisite Microcline

First Order
Bright yellow 332 Glaserite Harmotome Åkermanite
0.007 Aenigmatite Antigorite Kaolinite

400 0.008 Chrysotile Corundum Silicocarnotite

Triphylite Plagioclase Anorthoclase
Brown-yellow 430 An 20-60
0.009 Topaz Albite Quartz
Enstatite Celestite Rankinite
Cordierite Struvite Tricalciumsilicate
Red-orange 0.010 Axinite Stilbite Gypsum
505 Epistilbite Bronzite Boracite
Red Mg-Riebeckite Chrysoberyl
536
Deep red 551 0.011 Clinochlore Andalusite Gehlenite
Purple 565 Chloritoid Bytownite Scolecite
Violet 575
Indigo 589 Laumontite Natrolite γ-Dicalciumsilicate
600 0.012
Hydronephelite Barite Brushite
Clintonite Kornerupine Petalite
0.013 Dipyre Hypersthene Anorthite
Sky blue 664 Staurolite Thenardite Rhodonite
Margarite Trona
0.014 Eckermannite Thuringite Wollastonite

Greenish blue 728

Green 747 0.015 Epidote Jadeite Bustamite
Picromerite Crossite Boehmite

800 0.016 Phenakite Monticellite β-Dicalciumsilicate

Merwinite Richterite Mullite
Lighter green 826
Yellowish green 843 Syngenite Kyanite Gedrite
0.017
Greenish yellow 866 Na-Tremolite

Second Order
0.018 Hiortdahlite Thomsonite
Pure yellow 910

Orange 948 0.019 Lawsonite Pargasite Polyhalite

Pumpellyite Amesite

Bright orange-red 1000 998 0.020 Melinophan Alunite Spodumene

Actinolite Vermiculite Amblygonite
Katophorite
0.021 Barkevikite Comm. Hornbl. Brucite
Prehnite Glauberite Gibbsite

Dark violet-red 1101 0.022 Carpholite Tremolite Sillimanite

Triplite Hastingsite Orthoferrosilite
Light bluish violet 1128
Indigo 1151 0.023 Kainite Pigeonite Larnite
Omphacite Gadolinite

1200 0.024 Cookeite Augite Kaersutite

1258 0.025 Anthophyllite Tourmaline Borax

Greenish blue Glaucophane Wavellite Montmorillonite
Hydromagnesite
0.026 Rosenbuschite Wöhlerite Cancrinite
Mizzonite Fassaite
Sea green 1334
0.027 Carnallite Titanaugite Stishovite
Phlogopite
1376
Lustrous green
1400 0.028 Colemanite Epsomite Glauconite
Chloromelanite Paragonite Lepidolite
Third Order Greenish yellow 1426
0.029 Babingtonite Salite Calciumhydroxide
Hedenbergite
Johannsenite
1495 Högbomite Cummingtonite Pseudowollastonite
Flesh color 0.030
1534
Carmine red Diopside Zinnwaldite Sucrose
0.031
Clinohumite Dumortierite

1600 0.032 Allanite Chondrodite Lamprophyllite

1621 Rhönite Humite Clinoferrosilite
Dull purple
1652 0.033 Prehnite Forsterite Stilpnomelane
Violet-gray Variscite
1682
Gray-blue Kernite Bischofite
1711
0.034
Dull sea green
1744 0.035 Lazulite Olivine Pectolite
Bluish green Fe-Epidote

0.036 Catapleiite Grandidierite Muscovite

-0.180
-0.120
-0.090
-0.080
-0.070
-0.065
-0.060
-0.055
-0.050
-0.045
-0.040

Talc

Rutile

Path difference [nm]

Zircon
augite

Calcite

Siderite
Sphene
Datolite

Anatase

Brookite
Aegirine
Meionite

Hematite
Dolomite
Tephroite

Geikielite
Ascharite
Monazite
Grunerite
Aegerine-

Aragonite

Magnesite
Columbite
Baddeleyite

Pyrophanite
Astrophyllite

(1000nm = 1µm = 10-3mm)

Lepidocrocite
Siderophyllite
Oxyhornblende
Silk

Basaltic Hornblende
Nylon
Biotite
Tilleyite
Spurrite

Glucose
Maltose
Diaspore

Cellulose

Carbamide
Cholesterole
Carborundum

Brownmillerite
Bicalciumferrite

Monocalciumferrite
Ilvaite
Fayalite
Låvenite

Kieserite

Goethite
Phengite

Xenotime

Ludwigite
Anhydrite
Michel-Lévy

Cassiterite
Piemontite
Nontronite

Whewellite
Titanbiotite

Pyrophyllite
Color Chart

0,57
0,36
0,286
0,280
0,270
0,241
0,195
0,180
0,172
0,156
0,150
0,140
0,120
0,107
0,096
0,090
Stilpno melane 0,080
0,073
0,070
0,065
0,063
0,060
0,055
0,052
0,050
0,049
0,048
0,047
0,045
0,044
0,043
0,041
0,039
0,038
 Linearly and circularly polarized light

State of polarization Rotation of the microscope stage In contrast to linear polarization,

of the light 0° 45° 90° 135° 180° circularly polarized light allows
minerals to display their interfer-
ence colors devoid of extinction.
For that reason, circular polariza-
linear
tion is the preferred method for
image analytical procedures.
Zircon

circular
Specimen

Behavior of optically aniso-

tropic crystals in linearly and
linear circularly polarized light,
orthoscopy and conoscopy.
Muscovite

circular

Determination of the optical character

State of polarization of the light
linear circular
uniaxial
compensator λ
without with without with

Determination of the optical

positive character of uniaxial and
quartz biaxial minerals in linearly
and circularly polarized light.
The reference direction ny of
the λ-compensator is aligned
negative in NE-SW.
calcite

State of polarization of the light

linear circular
biaxial compensator λ
without with without with without with without with
normal position diagonal position normal position diagonal position

positive
barite

negative
muskovite

6
Highlights of minerals analysis

Auguste Michel-Lévy (1844 – 1911)

French geologist, Inspector General of Mining and
director of the Geological Survey in France, made a
name for himself by his research into extrusive rocks,
their microscopic structure and origin.

Until this day, the interference color chart proposed by

him in 1888 remains an important tool in the identi-
fication of thin sections of minerals with polarization
microscopy.

Then as now, Carl Zeiss sets benchmarks with their

polarized light microscopes, in mineralogy and
petrography as well as materialography and other
application fields.

Mineralogical microscope stand of 1906.

Plagioclase (feldspar) Pyroxene Amphibole

Twin lamination Cleavage angle ca. 87° Cleavage angle ca. 124°

7
Kindly supported by
TU Bergakademie Freiberg

Dr. M. Magnus
Institute of Geology and Paleontology

Carl Zeiss MicroImaging GmbH

70-2-0100/e – printed 02.2011

07740 Jena, Germany

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Information subject to change.

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