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Determination of the composition of gems by Raman Spectroscopy (CAT#: STEM-ST-0086-WXH)

Introduction

In many cases, gems belong to a mineral group which constitutes an isomorphic series whose chemical composition changes continuously within a specified range. The extreme terms of the compositional range are the so-called end members of the series and, in general, every member of the group can be considered a solid-state solution of the end members. Tourmalines and garnets are examples of gems which do not correspond to mineral species but to mineral groups. Knowledge of the actual composition of a gem, which could be expressed as the percentage of the various end members of the group, is important to give a correct estimation of its value and provenance.




Principle

Raman Spectroscopy is a non-destructive chemical analysis technique which provides detailed information about chemical structure, phase and polymorphy, crystallinity and molecular interactions.
The principle behind Raman spectroscopy is that the monochromatic radiation is passed through the sample such that the radiation may get reflected, absorbed, or scattered. The scattered photons have a different frequency from the incident photon as the vibration and rotational property vary.

Applications

• Analysis of biocompatibility of a material.
• Analysis of nucleic acids.
• Study of interactions between drugs and cells.
• Photodynamic therapy (PDT).
• Analyzing metabolic accumulations of a substance or compounds.
• Diagnosis of disease.
• Analysis of individual cells.
• Cell sorting applications.
• Analyzing the features of biomolecules.
• Study of bone structure.

Procedure

1. Preparation of samples
2. Determine instrument parameters
3. Perform background scan
4. Test the sample
5. Data analysis

Materials

• Raman Spectrometer
• Raman Imaging Microscope