Luminescence properties of precious beryl deposits

Abstract

We studied the pulsed cathodoluminescence of beryls from several different mineral fields. We show that all green beryls, including emeralds, have a characteristic luminescence band in the 600–850 nm region; this band is produced by chromium and iron impurity ions. The individual spectroluminescence parameters for the beryls are the mean wavelength λ0, width σ, and intensity I of the band. We show that stones of the same mineral species (green beryl or emerald) from the same field form distinct, very nearly nonoverlapping groups in the phase space defined by the planar coordinates {λ0,σ,I}. This enables the field of origin for a stone to be determined based on its spectroluminescence parameters.