The Optical Microscopy 1 laboratory is equipped with instrumentations for the observation and the acquisition of images and videos through the use of a transmitted light polarizing microscope and a stereomicroscope. The microscopes are used to study any natural and artificial material.

Observation and subsequent acquisition, with the possibility to select an appropriate reference scale, can be carried out on thin sections, stratigraphic sections, small fragments, and mineral or glass separates.

The laboratory is equipped also with a reflected light microscope, which is useful for the observation of minerals such as oxides and sulfides, and native minerals such as gold and copper.

Also available are a program to perform modal analyses, useful quantify the amounts of each constituent characterizing the materials to be examined and a Canon scanner, with a PC and dedicated software, which can be used to scan thin sections.