Spectroscopic study of inclusions in gem corundum from Mercaderes, Cauca, Colombia
- Author(s)
- Manuela Zeug, Andrés Ignacio Rodríguez Vargas, Lutz Nasdala
- Abstract
Mineral inclusions in gem corundum from Mercaderes, Cauca, Colombia, were investigated non-destructively using Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopy, with special focus lying on phases containing radioactive elements. Besides abundant rutile, the minerals zircon, apatite, feldspar, and an epidote-group species, most probably allanite–(Ce), were found. The latter is detected easily from its characteristic Nd
3+emission pattern, which may prove useful in future provenance studies. Zircon inclusions range from well crystalline to moderately radiation damaged [FWHM (full width at half band maximum) of the ν
3(SiO
4) Raman band 1.8–10.9 cm
−1]. Both the zircon inclusions and their neighbouring host corundum are affected by compressive stress, which is assigned to (1) heterogeneous volume expansion of the host-inclusion couple upon pressure release during the uplift following primary growth and (2) volume expansion of the zircon inclusion due to the accumulation of self-irradiation damage. Internal stress of zircon inclusions averages ~1.1 GPa. Heat treatment of corundum leads to structural reconstitution of zircon (narrowed zircon Raman bands with FWHMs in the range 1.8–2.7 cm
−1) and accompanying stress release in the adjacent corundum (indicated by downshifts of the R
1emission of Cr
3+). The observation of broadened Raman band of zircon inclusions therefore allows one to exclude high-temperature enhancement of the host corundum.
- Organisation(s)
- Department of Mineralogy and Crystallography
- External organisation(s)
- Minerlab Limitada, Bogota
- Journal
- Physics and Chemistry of Minerals
- Volume
- 44
- Pages
- 221-233
- No. of pages
- 13
- ISSN
- 0342-1791
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s00269-016-0851-4
- Publication date
- 10-2016
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 104026 Spectroscopy, 105116 Mineralogy
- Keywords
- ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Geochemistry and Petrology, General Materials Science
- Portal url
- https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/2e1ea09d-b7e5-4979-ba5c-d8ca68315790