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Updated: Feb 10, 2026

Quantitative Analysis of Vacuum Induction Melting by Laser-induced Breakdown Spectroscopy
Published on: June 10, 2019
Analysis of natural and artificial ultramarine blue pigments using laser induced breakdown and pulsed Raman
I Osticioli1, N F C Mendes, A Nevin
1Dipartimento di Chimica, Università di Firenze, Polo Scientifico, Via della Lastruccia 3, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Firenze, Italy. iacopo.osticioli@unifi.it
Abstract:
Pulsed laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and Raman spectroscopy were performed using a novel laboratory setup employing the same Nd:YAG laser emission at 532 nm for the analysis of five commercially available pigments collectively known as "ultramarine blue", a sodium silicate material of either mineral origin or an artificially produced glass. LIBS and Raman spectroscopy have provided information regarding the elemental and molecular composition of the samples; additionally, an analytical protocol for the differentiation between natural (lapis lazuli) and artificial ultramarine blue pigments is proposed. In particular LIBS analysis has allowed the discrimination between pigments on the basis of peaks ascribed to calcium. The presence of calcite in the natural blue pigments has been confirmed following Raman spectroscopy in specific areas of the samples, and micro-Raman and optical microscopy have further corroborated the presence of calcite inclusions in the samples of natural origin. Finally multivariate analysis of Laser induced breakdown spectra using principal component analysis (PCA) further enhanced the differentiation between natural and artificial ultramarine blue pigments.
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