Pyroxene Visible Spectra (generally 350 - 2500 nm)

Pictures of pyroxenes showing the pleochroism

Images of representative orthopyroxene spectra

• enstatite spectrum; Enstatite (bronzite, Fs 14.0), GRR 40, Bamble, Norway, 0.100 mm thick with Fe²⁺ in the M2 site dominating the spectrum. Data Files: alpha; beta; gamma. Image of the alpha band on scale (0.095 mm thick). Data File: alpha on scale
• enstatite spectrum; Enstatite (hypersthene, Fs 39.5), GRR 1653, Summit Rock, Oregon, 0.10 mm thick With type Fe²⁺ in the M2 site dominating the spectrum and a M1 site feature near 1200 nm. Data Files: alpha; beta; gamma
• Enstatite spectrum, GRR 1087, from Tanzania, plotted as 0.500 mm thick.  This is the sample pictured above.Data Files: alpha; beta; gamma

Synthetic orthopyroxenes containing various transition elements.

• (Mg,Co)SiO₃ spectrum, GRR 247, from Jun Ito, plotted as 0.100 mm thick. Data files:  alpha; beta; gamma
• (Mg,Ni)SiO₃ spectrum, GRR 248, from Jun Ito, plotted as 0.200 mm thick. Data files:  alpha; beta; gamma
• (Mg,Co,Mn)SiO₃ spectrum, GRR 250, from Jun Ito, plotted as 0.100 mm thick.  Data files:  alpha; beta; gamma

Synthetic clinopyroxene containing various transition elements.

• CaMgSi₂O₆ :VO²⁺ spectrum, GRR 510. Blue diopside  not perfectly aligned .

Synthetic protopyroxene containing vanadium.

• (LiScMg)SiO₃:VO²⁺ spectrum, GRR 399, Blue protoenstatite, not oriented. Data file: unoriented

Images of representative clinopyroxene spectra

• Augite spectrum; Augite, GRR 13477, Maui, Hawaii, 0.100 mm thick with Fe²⁺ in the M2 site providing major features near 1000 and 2300 nm. Data Files: alpha; beta; gamma
  
• Augite spectrum; Augite, GRR 583, CIT 13748, Cedar Butte, Oregon , 0.10 mm thick with Fe²⁺ in the M2 site dominating the spectrum. Data Files: alpha; beta; gamma
• Diopside spectrum; Diopside, GRR 472, CIT 7524, Binntal Wallis, Switzerland , 0.50 mm thick. This shows both Fe²⁺ and Fe²⁺ - Fe³⁺ intervalence charge transfer. Data Files: alpha; beta; gamma
• Diopside spectrum; Diopside, RDS 62047-70, chromian , Russia, 1.00 mm thick.  The band at 1030 nm is from Fe²⁺ whereas the other features are from Cr³⁺. The crystal contains 0.558 wt% Cr₂O₃.  This was taken with light polarized along each crystallographic axis. Data Files: E||b.
• Hedenbergite spectrum; Hedenbergite, CIT-12593, from the Obersulzbach Valley, Salzburg, Austria, 0.250 mm thick.Intervalence charge transfer between Fe²⁺ - Fe³⁺ occurs near 790 nm and  features from Fe²⁺ in the M(1) site occur near 967 and 1190 nm. A feature from Fe²⁺ in the M(2) site occurs near 1030 nm. Data Files: alpha; beta; gamma
• Hedenbergite spectrum; NMNH-16168, Nordmarken, Sweden, plotted as 0.40 mm thick. (with some Fe²⁺-Fe³⁺ intervalence charge transfer)

Special Clinopyroxene Topics:

    Jadeite

• Jadeite spectrum; Jadeite from Kazakhstan, polycrystalline mass run unpolarized and normalized to 10 mm thick.  The spectrum is dominated by Cr³⁺ but also shows the Fe³⁺ band near 440 nm. Data file:  Contributed data from Anton Vasiliev, LAL, Moscow: unpolarized.
• Jadeite spectrum; Lavender jadeite from Nam Maw, Myanmar: unpolarized data.

    Spodumene

• Spodumene CIT-9564 spectrum, yellow green, Brazil?, 13.5 mm thick
• Spodumene CIT 7221 spectrum, yellow color, Minas Gerais, Brazil. 10 mm thick
• Spodumene RCH blue spectrum, blue color, Afghanistan, 10 mm thick
• Spodumene RCH yellow spectrum, yellow color, Afghanistan, 10 mm thick
• Spodumene RCH yellow-green spectrum, yellow-green color, Afghanistan, 10 mm thick

• Spodumene spectrum; GRR 151, lavendar colored kunzite variety, Pala, California, USA, 10.0 mm thick showing Mn³⁺ features. Data Files: alpha; beta; gamma

    Irradiated Kunzite

Spodumene GRR 831 from Afghanistan irradiated with Cs-137 gamma rays

• Spodumene irradiated kunzite spectrum; GRR 151, green colored irradiated with 54.1 Megarads of gamma rays. Pala, California, USA, 10.0 mm thick showing Mn³⁺ features. Data Files: alpha; beta; gamma
  

• Spodumene irradiated kunzite spectrum; GRR 744 irradiated with gamma rays. 2.06 mm thick

Data Files

• no other data files at this time

Link to an extensive collection of references to mostly color and visible spectroscopy of pyroxenes

Link to references about the spectra of spodumene

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