THANK YOU! For this lovely example. I'd been looking for something like this but all I was coming up with were advanced treatises involving optics terms I've not learned about (yet?) :) Tangential question: I've got a pretty microscope, but unfortunately it's not a polarizing one-just the usual kind you find in most labs. Do you know if it's possible to determine any properties of minerals with it, or is that something that's only possible with the polarizing? I know they have to be thin sections, but wasn't sure if it was worth having one prepped if all I'm to get is not much more info. Thanks again!