Atlas of Metamorphic Minerals

Rock-forming minerals of metamorphic rocks, in thin section (a work in progress)
Olivine: forsterite  Olivine: Forsterite, in marble. Plane-polarised light, width of view 2.5 mm. Olivine: forsterite  Olivine: Forsterite, in marble. Polars crossed, width of view 2.5 mm. Zircon  Zircon, with distinct core and rim zones, in aluminous granulite. Plane-polarised light, width of view 0.25 mm. Zircon  Zircon, with distinct core and rim zones, in aluminous granulite. Polars crossed, width of view 0.25 mm. Titanite  Titanite (sphene), in calc-silicate marble. Plane-polarised light, width of view 1 mm. Titanite  Titanite (sphene), in calc-silicate marble. Polars crossed, width of view 1 mm.
Garnet: almandine  Garnet: almandine, in kyanite-grade mica schist. Plane-polarised light, width of view 2.5 mm. Garnet: almandine  Garnet: almandine, idioblastic and poikiloblastic, in schist. Plane-polarised light, width of view 6 mm. Garnet: almandine  Garnet: almandine, with graphitic inclusion trails showing a deflection near the rim, in kyanite-garnet schist. Plane-polarised light, width of view 1 mm. Garnet: almandine  Garnet: almandine, with rotational double-spiral inclusion trails, in schist. Plane-polarised light, width of view 2.5 mm. Garnet: almandine-pyrope  Garnet: almandine-pyrope, with sillimanite inclusions, in granulite-facies garnet-cordierite gneiss. Plane-polarised light, field of view 5 mm Garnet: almandine-pyrope-grossular  Garnet: almandine-pyrope-grossular, with corona texture of plagioclase and orthopyroxene, in granulite-facies metabasite. Plane-polarised light, field of view 4 mm
Garnet: almandine-pyrope-grossular  Garnet: almandine-pyrope-grossular (isotropic mass at centre), with corona texture of plagioclase and orthopyroxene, in granulite-facies metabasite. Polars crossed, field of view 4 mm Garnet: andradite  Garnet: andradite, in marble. Plane-polarised light, field of view 3.5 mm Vesuvianite  Vesuvianite, in calc-silicate skarn. Plane-polarised light, field of view 2.5 mm Vesuvianite  Vesuvianite, in calc-silicate skarn. Polars crossed, field of view 2.5 mm Sillimanite  Sillimanite (fibrolite), intergrown with biotite in schist. Plane-polarised light, field of view 5 mm Sillimanite  Sillimanite (fibrolite), intergrown with biotite in schist. Polars crossed, field of view 5 mm
Sillimanite  Sillimanite, nodules of fibrolite in schist. Plane-polarised light, field of view 5 mm Sillimanite  Sillimanite, nodules of fibrolite in schist. Polars crossed, field of view 5 mm Sillimanite  Sillimanite, prismatic, in aluminous granulite. Plane-polarised light, field of view 2.5 mm Sillimanite  Sillimanite, prismatic, in aluminous granulite. Polars crossed, field of view 2.5 mm Andalusite  Andalusite (chiastolite) in graphitic hornfels. Plane-polarised light, field of view 8 mm Andalusite  Andalusite (chiastolite) with pink core zone, in graphitic hornfels. Plane-polarised light, field of view 2.5 mm
Andalusite  Andalusite, poikiloblastic, in schist. Ordinary light, field of view 10 mm Kyanite  Kyanite, in schist. Plane-polarised light, field of view 2.5 mm Kyanite  Kyanite, in schist, showing three different crystal orientations. Plane-polarised light, field of view 2.5 mm Kyanite  Kyanite, in schist, showing three different crystal orientations. Polars crossed, field of view 2.5 mm Staurolite  Staurolite, prism in schist. Plane-polarised light, field of view 2.5 mm Staurolite  Staurolite poikiloblast, in schist. Plane-polarised light, field of view 2.5 mm
Staurolite  Staurolite poikiloblast showing interpenetrant twinning, in schist. Polars crossed, field of view 2.5 mm Staurolite  Staurolite showing internal inclusion fabric, in schist. Plane-polarised light, field of view 1 mm Staurolite  Staurolite poikiloblast, in hornfels. Plane-polarised light, field of view 2 mm Staurolite  Staurolite poikiloblast, in hornfels. Polars crossed, field of view 2 mm Chloritoid  Chloritoid, in schist. Plane-polarised light, field of view 2 mm Chloritoid  Chloritoid, in schist. Plane-polarised light, field of view 2.5 mm
Chloritoid  Chloritoid, in schist, showing lamellar twinning and anomalous interference colours. Polars crossed, field of view 2.5 mm Sapphirine  Sapphirine (blue), with spinel, phlogopite and enstatite in Mg-Al-rich granulite. Plane-polarised light, field of view 2.5 mm Clinozoisite  Epidote group: Clinozoisite, showing anomalous interference colours. Polars crossed, field of view 1 mm Clinozoisite  Epidote group: Clinozoisite, poikiloblast in eclogite. Plane-polarised light, field of view 2.5 mm Clinozoisite  Epidote group: Clinozoisite, poikiloblast in eclogite, showing zoned birefringence (core more Fe-rich). Polars crossed, field of view 2.5 mm Epidote  Epidote in calc-silicate marble. Plane-polarised light, field of view 2.5 mm
Epidote  Epidote in calc-silicate marble. Polars crossed, field of view 2.5 mm Zoisite  Epidote group: Zoisite, in high-pressure gneiss. Plane-polarised light, field of view 1.25 mm Zoisite  Epidote group: Zoisite, showing anomalous blue interference colours and narrow rim of clinozoisite. Polars crossed, field of view 1.25 mm Piemontite  Epidote group: Piemontite, in manganiferous metachert. Plane-polarised light, field of view 1 mm Piemontite  Epidote group: Piemontite, in manganiferous metachert. Polars crossed, field of view 1 mm Lawsonite  Lawsonite, pale brownish, with glaucophane, chlorite and white mica, in blueschist. Plane-polarised light, field of view 1 mm
Lawsonite  Lawsonite, in blueschist. Polars crossed, field of view 1 mm Cordierite  Cordierite, granoblastic-polygonal texture, granulite facies. Polars crossed, field of view 5 mm Cordierite  Cordierite, poikiloblastic, in low-P spotted schist (Buchan type). Plane-polarised light, field of view 5 mm Cordierite  Cordierite, poikiloblastic, in low-P spotted schist (Buchan type). Polars crossed, field of view 5 mm Cordierite  Cordierite, showing complex sector twinning, in spotted hornfels. Polars crossed, field of view 2.5 mm Cordierite  Cordierite (colourless), in aluminous hornfels. Plane-polarised light, field of view 2.5 mm
Cordierite  Cordierite, in aluminous hornfels. Polars crossed, field of view 2.5 mm Cordierite  Cordierite, with sillimanite inclusions, in granulite-facies metapelitic gneiss. Plane-polarised light, field of view 5 mm Cordierite  Cordierite, with sillimanite inclusions, in granulite-facies metapelitic gneiss. Polars crossed, field of view 5 mm Osumilite  Osumilite (double-ring silicate resembling cordierite, diagnostic of ultrahigh-T metamorphism), with feldspar and orthopyroxene. Note yellow 'pinite' alteration. Plane-polarised light, field of view 2.5 mm Osumilite  Osumilite (double-ring silicate resembling cordierite, diagnostic of ultrahigh-T metamorphism), with feldspar and orthopyroxene. Note near-isotropic 'pinite' alteration at margins. Polars crossed, field of view 2.5 mm Clino- and Orthopyroxene  Pyroxene: clinopyroxene (green) and orthopyroxene (pink) in granulite-facies tonalitic gneiss. Plane-polarised light, field of view 5 mm
Clino- and Orthopyroxene  Pyroxene: clinopyroxene (mostly second-order colours) and orthopyroxene (first-order colours) in granulite-facies tonalitic gneiss. Polars crossed, field of view 5 mm Clinopyroxene  Pyroxene: clinopyroxene (diopside/augite), showing exsolution lamellae, in granulite-facies metabasite. Polars crossed, field of view 5 mm Diopside  Pyroxene: diopside, in calc-silicate marble. Plane-polarised light, field of view 1 mm Diopside  Pyroxene: diopside, in calc-silicate marble. Polars crossed, field of view 1 mm Enstatite  Pyroxene: enstatite (pale pinks and greens) with olivine (colourless, upper right) and pale olive hornblende, in granulite-facies ultrabasic gneiss. Plane-polarised light, field of view 5 mm Enstatite  Pyroxene: enstatite (first-order colours) with olivine (high colours, upper right), in granulite-facies ultrabasic gneiss. Polars crossed, field of view 5 mm
Enstatite  Pyroxene: aluminous enstatite, poikiloblast in granulite-facies cordierite gneiss. Plane-polarised light, width of view 19 mm Jadeite  Pyroxene: jadeite (altered at rim and in fractures) in eclogite-facies meta-granite. Plane-polarised light, field of view 2.5 mm Jadeite  Pyroxene: jadeite (altered at rim and in fractures) in eclogite-facies meta-granite. Polars crossed, field of view 2.5 mm Omphacite  Pyroxene: omphacite, with symplectitic reaction rim, in eclogite. Plane-polarised light, field of view 1.5 mm Omphacite  Pyroxene: omphacite, with symplectitic reaction rim, in eclogite. Polars crossed, field of view 1.5 mm Omphacite  Pyroxene: omphacite, aggregate of crystals, with garnet, white mica and glaucophane in eclogite. Plane-polarised light, field of view 2.5 mm
Omphacite  Pyroxene: omphacite, aggregate of crystals, with garnet, white mica and glaucophane in eclogite. Polars crossed, field of view 2.5 mm Wollastonite  Wollastonite, showing three cleavages on basal section. Plane-polarised light, field of view 2.5 mm Wollastonite  Wollastonite, showing three cleavages and high birefringence on basal section. Polars crossed, field of view 2.5 mm Tremolite  Amphibole: tremolite in marble. Plane-polarised light, field of view 2.5 mm Tremolite  Amphibole: tremolite in marble. Polars crossed, field of view 2.5 mm Actinolite  Amphibole: actinolite (pale green) as core of composite crystal surrounded by triple-chain silicate, in ultrabasic gneiss. Plane-polarised light, field of view 1.5 mm
Actinolite  Amphibole: actinolite (magenta interference colour) as core of composite crystal surrounded by triple-chain silicate (blue), in ultrabasic gneiss. Polars crossed, field of view 1.5 mm Hornblende  Amphibole: blue-green hornblende, in various orientations showing different pleochroism colours, in garnet-grade metagabbro. Plane-polarised light, field of view 4 mm Hornblende  Amphibole: blue-green hornblende, in garnet-grade metagabbro. Note low-order interference colours, partly masked by body colour. Polars crossed, field of view 4 mm Hornblende  Amphibole: hornblende, in foliated amphibolite. Plane-polarised light, field of view 2 mm Hornblende  Amphibole: hornblende, in amphibolite derived from gabbro. Plane-polarised light, field of view 2 mm Hornblende  Amphibole: brown hornblende in high-temperature amphibolite. Note greenish rims resulting from retrograde change. Plane-polarised light, field of view 4 mm
Anthophyllite  Amphibole: anthophyllite, in contact-metamorphosed rock. Plane-polarised light, field of view 2 mm Anthophyllite  Amphibole: anthophyllite, in contact-metamorphosed rock. Polars crossed, field of view 2 mm Gedrite  Amphibole: gedrite (Na-Al anthophyllite), in cordierite-gedrite gneiss. Plane-polarised light, field of view 6 mm Gedrite  Amphibole: gedrite (Na-Al anthophyllite), in cordierite-gedrite gneiss. Polars crossed, field of view 6 mm Glaucophane  Amphibole: glaucophane, in blueschist. Plane-polarised light, prisms parallel to polariser. Plane-polarised light, field of view 2.5 mm Glaucophane  Amphibole: glaucophane, in blueschist. Plane-polarised light, prisms normal to polariser. Plane-polarised light, field of view 2.5 mm
Glaucophane (crossite)  Amphibole: crossite (glaucophane with Fe3+), in blueschist. Plane-polarised light, field of view 2.5 mm Glaucophane (crossite)  Amphibole: crossite (glaucophane with Fe3+), in metachert. Plane-polarised light, field of view 2.5 mm Glaucophane (crossite)  Amphibole: crossite (glaucophane with Fe3+), in metachert. Polars crossed, field of view 2.5 mm Muscovite  Muscovite (colourless), with biotite, garnet and kyanite in schist. Plane-polarised light, field of view 6 mm Muscovite  Muscovite (bright colours), with biotite, garnet and kyanite in schist. Polars crossed, field of view 6 mm Muscovite  Muscovite, in phyllite. Polars crossed, field of view 2.5 mm
Muscovite  Muscovite (randomly-oriented crystals) in aluminous granofels. Polars crossed, field of view 2.5 mm Muscovite (phengite)  Muscovite var. phengite, three grains in different orientations, in eclogite. Plane-polarised light, field of view 1 mm Muscovite (phengite)  Muscovite var. phengite, three grains in different orientations, in eclogite. Central grain will give a uniaxial figure (3T polytype). Polars crossed, field of view 1 mm Biotite  Biotite, poikiloblast in biotite-grade schist (greenschist facies). Plane-polarised light, field of view 2 mm Biotite  Biotite, in high-grade gneiss with cordierite and quartz. Plane-polarised light, field of view 2.5 mm Biotite  Biotite, in high-grade gneiss with cordierite and quartz. Polars crossed, field of view 2.5 mm
Phlogopite  Phlogopite (almost colourless) with calcite and forsterite in marble. Plane-polarised light, field of view 2.5 mm Phlogopite  Phlogopite, with calcite and forsterite in marble. Polars crossed, field of view 2.5 mm Stilpnomelane  Stilpnomelane (brown), in metabasic greenschist. Plane-polarised light, field of view 1 mm Stilpnomelane  Stilpnomelane (brown, high birefringence), in metabasic greenschist. Polars crossed, field of view 1 mm Talc  Talc, in metasomatised peridotite. Polars crossed, field of view 3.5 mm Chlorite  Chlorite, cluster of green flakes in polymetamorphic gneiss. Plane-polarised light, field of view 3.5 mm
Chlorite  Chlorite, microfolded aggregate with albite and epidote in greenschist. Plane-polarised light, field of view 1.5 mm Chlorite  Chlorite, microfolded aggregate with albite and epidote in greenschist. Note purplish-brown anomalous interference colour. Polars crossed, field of view 1.5 mm Chlorite  Chlorite, colourless Mg-chlorite with spinel, in forsterite marble. Plane-polarised light, field of view 2 mm Chlorite  Chlorite, Mg-chlorite with spinel, in forsterite marble. Note bright first-order white interference colour. Polars crossed, field of view 2 mm Serpentine  Serpentine, replacing forsterite in marble. Plane-polarised light, field of view 2.5 mm Serpentine  Serpentine, replacing forsterite in marble. Polars crossed, field of view 2.5 mm
Prehnite  Prehnite, radiating birefringent blades filling an alteration vein in amphibolite. Polars crossed, field of view 1.5 mm Feldspar: Albite  Albite, porphyroblast with graphitic inclusion trails in low-grade mica schist. Polars crossed, field of view 2.5 mm Feldspar: Albite  Albite, poikiloblast in metabasic greenschist. Plane-polarised light, field of view 1 mm Feldspar: Albite  Albite, poikiloblast in metabasic greenschist. Polars crossed, field of view 1 mm Feldspar: Microcline  Microcline (low relief), in calc-silicate marble with calcite and epidote. Plane-polarised light, field of view 1 mm Feldspar: Microcline  Microcline (with 'tartan' twinning), in calc-silicate marble with calcite and epidote. Polars crossed, field of view 1 mm
Quartz  Quartz, granoblastic aggregate with muscovite in siliceous schist. Polars crossed, field of view 2.5 mm Quartz  Quartz, partly recrystallised vein stringer in schist, Polars crossed, field of view 5 mm Coesite  Coesite, with reaction rim of quartz, as inclusion in omphacite. Plane-polarised light, field of view 0.8 mm Coesite  Coesite, with reaction rim of quartz, as inclusion in omphacite. Polars crossed, field of view 0.8 mm Corundum  Corundum, with reaction rims of spinel (green), sapphirine (blue) and kornerupine (pale grey-blue) in aluminous phlogopite gneiss. Plane-polarised light, field of view 6 mm Corundum  Corundum (first-order pale yellow), with reaction rims of spinel (isotropic), sapphirine and kornerupine (both low-order grey) in aluminous phlogopite gneiss. Polars crossed, field of view 6 mm
Rutile  Rutile, large grain in metabasic eclogite. Plane-polarised light, field of view 1 mm Spinel  Spinel (sensu stricto, i.e. Mg-Al spinel) in marble, with partial alteration to Mg-chlorite. Plane-polarised light, field of view 2 mm Spinel  Spinel (sensu stricto, i.e. Mg-Al spinel), isotropic, in marble, with partial alteration to Mg-chlorite (white). Polars crossed, field of view 2 mm Spinel: Hercynite  Hercynite (green Fe-Al spinel) with fine internal precipitate of opaque magnetite and reaction rims of cordierite and garnet, in ultrahigh temperature metapelitic gneiss. Plane-polarised light, field of view 1 mm Brucite  Brucite, pseudomorphs after periclase, in contact-metamorphosed marble. Plane-polarised light, field of view 1.3 mm Brucite  Brucite, pseudomorphs after periclase, in contact-metamorphosed marble. Polars crossed, field of view 1.3 mm
Calcite  Calcite, with narrow twin lamellae, in marble. Plane-polarised light, field of view 1 mm Calcite  Calcite, with very high interference colours and showing narrow twin lamellae, in marble. Polars crossed, field of view 1 mm Dolomite  Dolomite, in high-pressure schist. Plane-polarised light, field of view 2.5 mm Dolomite  Dolomite, in high-pressure schist. Polars crossed, field of view 2.5 mm Magnesite  Magnesite, in magnesite-talc rock (metasomatised peridotite). Plane-polarised light, field of view 3.5 mm Magnesite  Magnesite, in magnesite-talc rock (metasomatised peridotite). Polars crossed, field of view 3.5 mm