A new cathodoluminescence-microscope has been developed with a considerably improved detection limit. Time-dependent luminescence intensity changes observed during electron bombardment enabled the recognition of short-lived, long-lived, and brown luminescence colour types in α-quartz.

Short-lived bottle-green or blue luminescence colours with zones of non-luminescing bands are very common in authigenic quartz overgrowths, fracture fillings or idiomorphic vein crystals. Dark brown, short-lived yellow or pink colours are often found in quartz replacing sulphate minerals. Quartz from tectonically active regions commonly exhibits a brown luminescence colour. A red luminescence colour is typical for quartz crystallized close to a volcanic dyke or sill.

The causes of these different and previously poorly understood luminescence colours were investigated using heat treatment, electron bombardment and electrodiffusion. Both natural and induced brown luminescence colours reflect the presence of lattice defects (nonbonding Si-O) due to twinning, mechanical deformation, particle bombardment or extremely rapid growth. The bottle-green and blue linearly polarized luminescence colour, characterized by a plane of polarization parallel to the c-axis, both depend on the presence of interstitial cations. The yellow and red luminescence colours in α-quartz both exhibit a plane of polarization perpendicular to the c-axis and appear to be related to the presence of trace elements in an oxidizing solution and to ferric iron respectively.