Cathodoluminescence in Applied Geosciences

Abstract

Cathodoluminescence has developed into a standard technique for mineralogical and petrological investigations in geosciences. This is especially due to several advantages which have made cathodoluminescence (CL) a powerful tool in the analysis of solid matter. Generally, CL has been applied to investigations of crystallographic and typomorphic properties of minerals (real structure, zonation, etc.), the identification of mineral constituents, and the reconstruction of mineral-and rock-forming processes (Walker 1985; Marshall 1988; Remond et al. 1992). Investigations of gemstones by CL have especially focused on the evaluation of typomorphic properties to distinguish natural from synthetic gemstones (e.g. Gaal 1976, 1977; Ponahlo and Koroschetz 1985; Ponahlo and Brandstätter 1996).