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Chapter VII
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
IN addition to the physical properties already dealt with there are a few other optical properties, which are of great value in the determination of gem-stones. These pro­perties are determined by optical instruments such as the dichroscope, refractometer, and the polarizing microscope. A brief explanation of the essential properties of light is given before the optical instruments and their uses are described.
Reflection and Refraction of Light
When a ray of light falls on a mirror or a polished surface, it is reflected so that the angle of incidence XON is equal to the angle of reflection YON (see fig. 26) and that the reflected and incident rays lie in the same plane with the normal to the reflecting surface.