Pleochroic halo

Pleochroic haloes are tiny spheres of dark discolouration within crystal grains. They are attributed to the presence of zircons trapped within crystals of other minerals, such as biotite mica. Zircon (Zr[SiO4]) is a common accessory mineral of many igneous rocks. It often crystallises early, and becomes trapped within grains of later-crystallising phases. Zircons contain a high proportion of radioactive elements. When these decay, they damage the crystal structure of the surrounding grain, producing a pleochroic halo.