Europium-activated cathodoluminescence in minerals

Cathodoluminescence observations give information on the presence of europium in several minerals including apatite, fluorite, strontianite, and scheelite. Information on the oxidation state of the crystallization environment and on the partitioning of europium between coexisting mineral pairs may be obtained.The apatite in carbonatites and genetically related igneous rocks almost always contains europium in the divalent state. Occasionally both divalent and trivalent europium are observed.Europium is preferentially incorporated into strontianite when it crystallizes together with apatite in these same rocks. Similar results are found for fiuorite.