Photoluminescence emissions of ceramics: a marker of production technology

Photoluminescence (PL) measurements have been performed on different sets of ceramic shards; the results obtained from the ceramic bodies of lustred majolicas produced in Iraq, Italy and Spain are reported. Non-lustred samples are analysed for comparison. The spectra obtained from all the lustred samples show PL emission bands that are attributed to the presence of alpha-quartz and diopside. The photoluminescence of the lustre-decorated ceramics is possibly a fingerprint of the particular production technology of lustre.