• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.343-355
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• 1985

Spectral reflectivity and microhardness were measured quantitatively on polished surfaces of a selection of bireflecting minerals obtained from several well known metallic deposits. Incremental errors are much higher than decremental errors and errors were found to be lowest in the spectral region close to the green wavelength ($544m{\mu}$). The characteristics of the spectral profile are significant in their control of white light color. The covellite and graphite have reflectivity profiles similar in shape for each principal direction, showing noticeable difference in magnitude between the profiles: The spectral reflectivity of covellite parallel to the extraordinary vibration is higher (R$$\simeq_-$$10%) than that parallel to the ordinary vibration and graphite shows opposite feature. Reflectivity of the enargite and famatinite cut parallel to the cleavage plane is always higher (R$$\simeq_-$$5%) than that of the section cut normal. The optical symmetry of 5 bireflecting minerals was determined by noting the variation in reflectivity at $544m{\mu}$. The data indicate that covellite is optically uniaxial positive and graphite is optically uniaxial negative. The Rm values for enargite and famatinite are clearly closer to the minimum value for the mineral ($R_1$) than to the maximum value ($R_2$) : the minerals can be recognized as optically biaxial positive. Enargite and famatinite cut parallel to cleavage have much higher hardness values (HV=> $200kg/mm^2$) than those cut normal to cleavage. Vickers indentations exhibit characteristic features for all the bireflecting mineral species studied. Broad radicle groupings of the mineral species can be made with regard to the reflectivity microhardness numbers.