The Micro Imaging Lab contains a Thermo Scientific DXR3 Raman microscope with 532nm and 785nm wavelength options. Raman spectroscopy is a non-destructive analytical technique that uses laser light to probe the chemical structure of a material by analyzing the way light is scattered off the sample, providing detailed information about the molecule’s vibrational modes. These modes act as a “chemical fingerprint” and help to identify substances based on their unique scattering pattern. Once the unique pattern is captured as a spectra, it can then be matched to a spectra in the RRUFF database for a positive mineral identification. The RUFF database is a comprehensive set of high quality spectral data from well characterized minerals and provides a standard for mineral identification.