Editing Pleochroism

{{Short description|Optical phenomenon}}
[[File:Cordierite2.JPG|thumb|Pleochroism of [[cordierite]] shown by rotating a [[polarizing filter (photography)|polarizing filter]] on the lens of the camera]]
[[File:Tourmalinex2.JPG|thumb|Pleochroism of [[tourmaline]] shown by rotating a polarizing filter on the lens of the camera]]

'''Pleochroism''' is an [[optical phenomenon]] in which a substance has different colors when observed at different angles, especially with [[Polarization (waves)|polarized]] light.<ref name=Webmineral>{{ cite web| url=http://webmineral.com/help/Pleochroism.shtml|work= Webmineral |title=Pleochroism in minerals}}</ref>

==Etymology==
The roots of the word are from Greek ({{etymology|grc|''{{Wikt-lang|grc|πλέων}}'' ({{grc-transl|πλέων}})|more||'' and {{Wikt-lang|grc|χρῶμα}}'' ({{grc-transl|χρῶμα}})|color}}). It was first made compound in the German term ''Pleochroismus'' by mineralogist Wilhelm Haidinger in 1854, in the journal ''Annalen der Physik und Chemie''.<ref>Oxford English Dictionary, 2006.</ref> Its first known English usage is by geologist James Dana in 1854.<ref>Merriam Webster</ref>

== Background ==
[[Anisotropy|Anisotropic]] crystals will have optical properties that vary with the direction of light. The direction of the electric field determines the polarization of light, and crystals will respond in different ways if this angle is changed. These kinds of crystals have one or two optical axes. If absorption of light varies with the angle relative to the optical axis in a crystal then pleochroism results.<ref name="Bloss">{{cite book|last=Bloss|first=F. Donald|title=An Introduction to the Methods of Optical Crystallography|year=1961|publisher=Holt, Rinehart and Winston|location=New York|pages=147–149}}</ref>

Anisotropic crystals have [[double refraction]] of [[light]] where light of different [[Polarization (waves)|polarizations]] is bent different amounts by the [[crystal]], and therefore follows different paths through the crystal. The components of a divided light beam follow different paths within the mineral and travel at different speeds. When the mineral is observed at some angle, light following some combination of paths and polarizations will be present, each of which will have had light of different colors absorbed. At another angle, the light passing through the crystal will be composed of another combination of light paths and polarizations, each with their own color. The light passing through the mineral will therefore have different colors when it is viewed from different angles, making the stone seem to be of different colors.

[[Tetragonal]], [[trigonal]], and [[Hexagonal crystal system|hexagonal]] minerals can only show two colors and are called [[dichroism|dichroic]]. [[Orthorhombic]], [[monoclinic]], and [[triclinic]] crystals can show three and are trichroic. For example, [[hypersthene]], which has two optical axes, can have a red, yellow, or blue appearance when oriented in three different ways in three-dimensional space.<ref name="Bloss2">{{cite book|last=Bloss|first=F. Donald|title=An Introduction to the Methods of Optical Crystallography|year=1961|publisher=Holt, Rinehart and Winston|location=New York|pages=212–213}}</ref> [[Cubic crystal system|Isometric]] minerals cannot exhibit pleochroism.<ref name=Webmineral/><ref>{{ cite web|url=http://www.galleries.com/minerals/property/pleochro.htm |title=The Pleochroic Minerals |work=galleries.com}}</ref> [[Tourmaline]] is notable for exhibiting strong pleochroism. Gems are sometimes cut and set either to display pleochroism or to hide it, depending on the colors and their attractiveness.

The pleochroic colors are at their maximum when light is polarized parallel with a principal optical vector. The axes are designated X, Y, and Z for direction, and alpha, beta, and gamma in magnitude of the refractive index. These axes can be determined from the appearance of a crystal in a [[conoscopic interference pattern]]. Where there are two optical axes, the acute bisectrix of the axes gives Z for positive minerals and X for negative minerals and the obtuse bisectrix gives the alternative axis (X or Z). Perpendicular to these is the Y axis. The color is measured with the polarization parallel to each direction. An absorption formula records the amount of absorption parallel to each axis in the form of X < Y < Z with the left most having the least absorption and the rightmost the most.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Rogers|first1=Austin F.|last2=Kerr|first2=Paul F.|title=Optical Mineralogy|url=https://archive.org/details/opticalmineralog00roge|url-access=registration|edition=2|year=1942|publisher=McGraw Hill Book Company|pages=[https://archive.org/details/opticalmineralog00roge/page/113 113–114]}}</ref>

== In mineralogy and gemology ==
Pleochroism is an extremely useful tool in [[mineralogy]] and [[gemology]] for [[mineral]] and [[Gemstone|gem]] identification, since the number of colors visible from different angles can identify the possible crystalline structure of a gemstone or mineral and therefore help to classify it.  Minerals that are otherwise very similar often have very different pleochroic color schemes. In such cases, a [[thin section]] of the mineral is used and examined under polarized transmitted light with a petrographic microscope. Another device using this property to identify minerals is the [[dichroscope]].<ref>[http://www.gemsociety.org/article/what-is-gemstone-pleochroism/ What is gemstone pleochroism?] International Gem Society, retrieved 28-Feb-2015</ref>

==List of pleochroic minerals==

===Purple and violet===

*[[Amethyst]] (very low): different shades of purple
*[[Andalusite]] (strong): green-brown / dark red / purple
*[[Beryl]] (medium): purple / colorless
*[[Corundum]] (high): purple / orange
*[[Hypersthene]] (strong): purple / orange
*[[Spodumene]] ([[Kunzite]]) (strong): purple / clear / pink
*[[Tourmaline]] (strong): pale purple / purple
*[[Putnisite]]: pale purple / bluish grey

===Blue===

*[[Aquamarine (gemstone)|Aquamarine]] (medium): clear / light blue, or light blue / dark blue
*[[Alexandrite]] (strong): dark red-purple / orange / green
*[[Apatite]] (strong): blue-yellow / blue-colorless
*[[Benitoite]] (strong): colorless / dark blue
*[[Cordierite]] (aka [[Iolite]]) (orthorhombic; very strong): pale yellow / violet / pale blue
*[[Corundum]] (strong): dark violet-blue / light blue-green
*[[Tanzanite]] See [[Zoisite]]
*[[Topaz]] (very low): colorless / pale blue / pink
*[[Tourmaline]] (strong): dark blue / light blue
*[[Zoisite]] (strong): blue / red-purple / yellow-green
*[[Zircon]] (strong): blue / clear / gray

===Green===

*[[Alexandrite]] (strong): dark red / orange / green
*[[Andalusite]] (strong): brown-green / dark red
*[[Corundum]] (strong): green / yellow-green
*[[Emerald]] (strong): green / blue-green
*[[Peridot]] (low): yellow-green / green / colorless
*[[Titanite]] (medium): brown-green / blue-green
*[[Tourmaline]] (strong): blue-green / brown-green / yellow-green
*[[Zircon]] (low): greenish brown / green
*[[Kornerupine]] (strong): green / pale yellowish-brown / reddish-brown
*[[Hiddenite]] (strong): blue-green / emerald-green / yellow-green

===Yellow===

*[[Citrine quartz|Citrine]] (very weak): different shades of pale yellow
*[[Chrysoberyl]] (very weak): red-yellow / yellow-green / green
*[[Corundum]] (weak): yellow / pale yellow
*[[Danburite]] (weak): very pale yellow / pale yellow
*[[Kasolite]] (weak): pale yellow / grey
*[[Orthoclase]] (weak): different shades of pale yellow
*[[Phenacite]] (medium): colorless / yellow-orange
*[[Spodumene]] (medium): different shades of pale yellow
*[[Topaz]] (medium): tan / yellow / yellow-orange
*[[Tourmaline]] (medium): pale yellow / dark yellow
*[[Zircon]] (weak): tan / yellow
*[[Hornblende]] (strong): light green / dark green / yellow / brown
*[[Segnitite]] (weak): pale to medium yellow

===Brown and orange===

*[[Corundum]] (strong): yellow-brown / orange
*[[Topaz]] (medium): brown-yellow / dull brown-yellow
*[[Tourmaline]] (very low): dark brown / light brown
*[[Zircon]] (very weak): brown-red / brown-yellow
*[[Biotite]] (medium): brown

===Red and pink===

*[[Alexandrite]] (strong): dark red / orange / green
*[[Andalusite]] (strong): dark red / brown-red
*[[Corundum]] (strong): violet-red / orange-red
*[[Morganite]] (medium): light red / red-violet
*[[Tourmaline]] (strong): dark red / light red
*[[Zircon]] (medium): purple / red-brown

==See also==
* [[Birefringence]]
* [[Medieval sunstone]]
* [[Physical crystallography before X-rays#Absorption and pleochroism|Physical crystallography before X-rays]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}
*“Pleochroism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pleochroism. Accessed 1 Jan. 2024.
* “Pleochroism, N.” Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford UP, July 2023, https://doi.org/10.1093/OED/5173776922. Accessed 1 Jan 2024.

[[Category:Mineralogy]]
[[Category:Optical mineralogy]]
[[Category:Microscopy]]
[[Category:Gemology]]
[[Category:Lists of colors]]