what is double refraction in mineralogy
Double Refraction in Minerals Double refraction is the splitting of a single ray of light into two refracted rays when passing through an anisotropic mineral. All anisotropic minerals exhibit double refraction. Double refraction can be practically observed by placing a transparent Calcite (Iceland spar) crystal on a sheet of paper with a black dot on it. When the dot is viewed through the crystal, two dots are seen.