Tracing a gem’s origins November 2, 2011 Stephen Ornes
Before you assume that your gem was mined get it checked by some scientists. They use a technique called laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy. They take a piece of the gem and shine a laser on it. The same way that ice turns into water and water turns into gas the gem also turns into a gas. The gas has a special pattern from each place. Scientists know where they mine and where they don’t. This technique works for most minerals, but not quite all of them.
Spectroscopyis the study of light patterns. Though I do not know why it is necessary to know if minerals were mined or not, I did find this interesting. I never knew that scientists did this.
http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/2011/11/tracing-a-gem%E2%80%99s-origins/
http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/2011/11/tracing-a-gem%E2%80%99s-origins/
If I found a gem I would so use this to find out its origin.
ReplyDeleteI'm not quite sure why they would do this. I know they use lasers to do this but spectroscopy is used to see the different colors of light that the various compounds create. Why do you suppose they need to know whether the minerals were mined or not?
ReplyDeleteThat is cool... if I would find a gem (thing that it is quite impossible)I could see with this its origin. Great job
ReplyDeleteWow I've never even heard of spectroscopy before but it sounds really cool. Why would you want to know where you gems came from though?
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